


InuyashaxKagome Drabbles

by Elohiniar



Series: Tales of The Dog Lord [7]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Action/Adventure, Amazing, Best, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Must Read
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:13:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 45,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25411432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elohiniar/pseuds/Elohiniar
Summary: Tales of Kagome and Inuyasha tied into the Tales of the Dog Lord series. From the time she returns through the well until the end of their time together.
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/InuYasha, Miroku/Sango (InuYasha), Rin/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Series: Tales of The Dog Lord [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1350946
Comments: 35
Kudos: 17





	1. The Well Closes

Kagome rose from the well in Inuyasha's arms. The kiss that had graced her mouth still burned against her lips. She ran from the well into her family's waiting arms. Her mother cried into her shoulder, "I thought we lost you," she stroked Kagome's hair.

"Nichan," Sota hugged her, "you scared me."

"Next time we'll make sure you're wearing an Omamori amlet so you won't get lost!" Jichan said confidently patting her head.

Kagome sensed the power shifting within the well. A force sucked Inuyasha down. She had no time to call for him, no goodbye before he disappeared. "No," she covered her mouth At sixteen she had faced more danger than the average middle school student. "No! Inuyasha!" She immediately let go of her parents and leapt over the side of the well falling into the darkness below. Her ankle twisted as she hit the hard ground, "ow!" She screamed. She slammed her fists against the dirt, "no…no…no…I want to go back! Let me go back!" She screamed at the well, "please let me go back," she cried digging her nails into the dirt. She threw clumps to the sides sobbing lightly, "please! I want to see him again." Her dirty hands were quickly stained with tears. She sat back on her legs, immediately regretting the action. She shrieked in pain and held her ankle.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi called from the side of the well, "are you okay?"

"I can't get through! I can't get through! Why won't it let me through?" Kagome beat at the ground. "Inuyasha! I don't want to say goodbye. Come back, please." She covered her face with her hands and cried.

Mrs. Higurashi did something she had never done before. The year before when Kagome first began travelling into the past they had a ladder built into the inside of the well. She carefully lifted her yellow linen skirt up and climbed over the ledge in her plain slip-ons. She climbed down carefully, step by step until she reached the bottom. She sat down next to Kagome stroking her daughter's hair. "It's okay," she hugged her daughter, "you're home now."

"Why can't I go back? Momma why can't I see him? I love him," Kagome bit her bottom lip, "I love him. I didn't get to tell him. He doesn't know."

"Shh," Mrs. Higurashi soothed her. "It's okay. Let's get you upstairs. Your ankle is hurt. What happened to your shoulder?"

Kagome only shook her head in attempt to stop her tears. She had forgotten about the gash Inuyasha had dug into her arm while he was under Magatsuhi's spell. She pulled herself up with the help of her mother.

"Can you climb out?" Her mother helped support her weight.

A year of fighting for her life in ancient Japan had Kagome in tip top shape. Although her shoulder burned she was able to hop up the ladder on one foot until she reached the top. Sota helped her over the side of the well. Her mother emerged next. She held Kagome around the waist and led her to their car. "We should take you to the hospital."

"No, I'll be fine," she gazed back at the well, _Inuyasha, find me._

"Kagome, your foot is hurt and the cut in your arm looks deep," her mother said firmly pulling apart the material of her school shirt.

"Please momma, just let me rest in bed. If the swelling doesn't go down with ice, then you can take me to the hospital," Kagome plead. She was so exhausted from her battle. Mrs. Higurashi yielded begrudgingly to her daughter's wishes. She helped Kagome limp her way up the stairs and then left to retrieve ice from the freezer. Kagome changed by herself and curled up in bed. "Sota! Bring me pillows for my ankle."

Her small eight year old brother ran into her room armed with three puffy pillows. "Does it hurt Nichan?"

"Yes," Kagome said quietly as she stared at the white tiled ceiling of her bedroom. "A lot." She wasn't talking about her foot. It was her heart that ached. She wondered if she would be able to get back through the well or if it had stopped working completely. Were they separated forever? A single tear burned its way across her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She thought sleep would be difficult, but with the fluffy solace of her pillows and comforter, sleep found her instantly.

Months passed. Her ankle healed. Her shoulder refused. She didn't tell her mother that she was cutting up old shirts to make bandages. The wound simply wouldn't heal. When she touched it, something felt impure. She tried on her own to purify what was inside, but her holy powers couldn't touch it. She felt like the wound was getting bigger instead of smaller. It left her feeling tired and fatigued. School had only just started. She was officially in high school.

After several days, Mrs. Higurashi insisted that Kagome spend time with her friends. She did her best to put on a happy smile for Yuki, Eri and Ayumi. Hojo-kun continued his attempted affections. Kagome rebuffed them the best she could. She studied diligently to catch up where she had been behind. She had passed her high school entrance exams by the skin of her teeth. In her free time she went with her friends to Wacdonalds. They asked about her wayward boyfriend. She couldn't answer without a tear forming in eyes. "No good bastard," Ayumi harrumphed.

"Ayumi!" Yuki folded her arms, "he didn't seem that bad."

"What kind of boyfriend leaves a girl for weeks without an explanation?" Eri folded her own arms in kind and sighed. "He was strange looking anyway."

"Why not meet Hojo-kun?" Ayumi asked, "he's always been very reliable."

The words enraged Kagome. She wanted to defend Inuyasha. It wasn't his fault she hadn't seen him in weeks. What was she going to tell the three awaiting faces? She couldn't explain that Inuyasha had originated from five hundred years before or that he had no control over what happened with the well, or that her heart was broken and she missed him horribly. Suddenly, something tickled her senses. It didn't just tickle them, it over powered them. She felt a demon-presence stronger than she had ever felt before. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. _It can't be,_ she stood up, "I'm sorry I have to go." She ran out of the store towards the sensation. It was making her skin crawl with its strength. The last time she had felt something so powerful was months before when she was in Naraku's body. She hoped that the presence was a friend and not a foe.

She found the source of her goose bumps. He was dressed in a plain brown suit with hands in his pockets. His long silver hair was tied back into a pony tail, then braided down past his bottom and tied again. The edges of his magenta stripes were visible below the final buttons that cuffed his suit jacket. A strange rod seemed to press against his back. He stared into the glass window of a pastry shop. "Sesshomaru?" She asked shocked.

The figure turned around, looking oh so like the Sesshomaru she knew, and not all at the same time. He seemed more slender dressed in western clothing than he had in his typical haori. He wore no armor. His face markings were absent and his mokomoko he kept looped around his shoulder was gone. He removed his sunglasses. The yoki calmed as his eyes changed from red back to gold. "What are you doing here? How did you get through the well?" There was something about his eyes. There were lines she did not remember. His face was creased with lines, especially around the corners of his eyes and a silent sorrow seemed to eat at him. She covered her mouth finally realizing, "you aren't Sesshomaru from then, you're Sesshomaru from now?"

He nodded his head satisfied that she had figured out that much.

"I felt your yoki," she rubbed her arms uncomfortable. When had he become so powerful? She had never felt anything so powerful before. Not even Naraku's presence or Magatsuhi's was that strong. Granted he had five hundred more years to gain power, she sighed. "I almost didn't believe it was you. I haven't been able to go back through the well in months. Why are you here?"

"Coffee," he said lithely pointing to a small coffee shop across the street.

Kagome's mouth dropped in confusion. Sesshomaru from the now was in front of her and asking her to drink coffee, but why? "What?" She stumbled over her words, "you drink coffee?"

"No, but you do, or you will. Follow me," grabbed her by the hand not giving her a chance to say no and dragged her across the busy street. Horns blared at him. Cars screeched to a halt just inches from the dog demon. "You're going to get hit by a car! Ah," she shrieked just as he pulled her out of the way of a black hatchback.

He rolled his cold golden eyes, "it would do little to kill me. I tried once. All I had to show for it was scrapes and an ache in my back for two days. Come," he opened the door to the coffee shop. A small bell above dinged announcing their entrance.

"Why would you try to kill yourself?" She regretted asking the moment she saw flickers of an emotion she couldn't name cross his eyes. If she didn't know better she would say he looked sad.

"What do you want?" He took out a wallet and motioned with his head at the menu that hung over the counter. Even that motion had Kagome's mouth falling on the floor. His claws were as long as she remembered and still looked as deadly.

"I was eating with friends. I don't have any more money," she said sheepishly. For once she was considering getting an after school job.

"I have plenty. Choose something," he said briskly.

"Okay," her mouth was still dry. She eyed him nervously, unsure what Sesshomaru wanted with her. She was almost afraid to ask. "Um coffee?"

"If you are getting the least expensive item on the menu to assuage the guilt that is wafting off you in waves, feel free to indulge. If memory serves you enjoy caramel."

"But I never…"

He raised his hand, "she will have a caramel macchiato, I will have hot water." He paid the total making no effort to hide his claws and leaned against the counter waiting for their drinks.

"I am so confused," Kagome followed him nervously. "Are we friends? Is that what this is? Because you barely spoke to me in Naraku's body. I almost fell off your tail while you were flying and where is your tail?"

"Mokomoko," he almost seemed to growl at her. "It's still on me, you can't see it."

Their drinks were handed to them. He gave Kagome her whipped cream covered drink and led her to a secluded booth out of the way of prying ears. He sat down first and held his hand out to the booth across from her. "You are injured," he informed her. Before she could speak, Sesshomaru had an iron grip on her shoulder. He pulled the short sleeve of her cardigan over her shoulder to reveal the strips of old clothes clumsily covering the gash Inuyasha had left on her.

"It's kind of embarrassing. Remember that wound Inuyasha gave me? It won't heal no matter what I do."

Sesshomaru ran a claw down the bandages slitting them to reveal tattered flesh still oozing fresh blood, "shoki," he said seriously. "When we are finished here, we will return to your house. I will heal it."

"How?" Kagome wondered.

"With my blood. My yoki is more powerful than Naraku's. It was then, it is even more so now. You should only need a few teaspoons to close that wound. It will be uncomfortable and you will experience a fever for many hours." If one thing had not changed about this Sesshomaru, it was the cadence of his speech. He was monotone and emotionless. "We need to talk, Kagome."

"Okay…um about what?" She gingerly stirred the whipped cream into her coffee.

He paused. It was almost as if he was thinking how to say what he needed. Kagome took a preparatory sip of the steaming drink. His cheeks clenched, he tapped his claws on the table, "something happens roughly twenty years from now. In time you will return through the well."

"How!?" She shrieked eyes wide open, heart racing, "how? How do I go back?"

Sesshomaru waved his hand up and down, "keep your voice down. I'm not sure how you are able to return. I only know that one day in the summer three years from now I went to visit Rin in Kaede's village and you had returned. You were working in the fields of the hanyou Jinenji next to Inuyasha."

"Is Inuyasha here?" Kagome was gripping her drink so tightly if it had not been served in a glass cup it would have exploded all over her lap.

Sesshomaru remained quiet, "that is not why I have come. Our lives intertwine often. Twenty years from now, Rin will be my…" he growled rolling his eyes so thoroughly it wrinkled his nose and tilted his top lip, "wife."

"You married Rin-chan?!" Kagome yelled slamming her hands on the table, "that's disgusting you pervert! She's eight years old!"

"I did not take her when she was eight years old, Miko," he sounded like her father when she was in trouble. "Lower your voice."

"Sorry…um when did you marry her then?" Kagome's mind was racing. He married Rin? She thought he hated humans. His face seemed entirely too serious even for him.

"Never. I am not human. Marriage is unnecessary," he drank his steaming water. "I left her with Kaede after Naraku's defeat. She needed to be around humans, to learn about her own kind. Kaede cared for her for nine years until she was seventeen. After we fought side by side, she became mine. I bound her to me-"

"What?" Her nose wrinkled in confusion. "Bound?"

He was clearly annoyed, "Inu-yokai create spiritual bonds with their soulmates. Their yoki flows into the soul creating a connection that allows us to sense each other's emotions, locations and at times heal each other's illnesses and injuries. You will learn about it in time," he seemed to be thinking. "You will have to suppress your need to purify it."

"I'll see Inuyasha again?" The hope welling in her chest was almost too much for her.

He nodded. "Rin and I had children together," he continued.

"How many?"

"Three," his tone was changing again.

She felt like she was about to get dressed down for doing something wrong. "Boys or girls?"

His face contorted with frustration again, "two boys and one girl. When she was pregnant with our third child," Sesshomaru paused. His nails dug into the table, his eyes closed, "no it would be our fourth."

"But you said you had three?" Kagome's eyes dilated. She suddenly realized she had blundered and should have said nothing. The pain in his eyes was evident. "I'm sorry," she bowed her head to him.

"It's okay," his face became placid again.

"But if I know, can't I do something to stop you from losing the child?"

"The past cannot change," he said firmly.

"Aren't we changing it now?"

"No. You have already come to me in the past. It took time for me to understand how you knew what would happen," he sighed. "A rival will make herself known. Another female that I will bind to me."

"You cheated on her! You're a pig!" Kagome went from feeling guilty and sorry for him to burning with anger. "You're a dirty disgusting pig! Why should I help you!?"

A low imposing growl fluttered from his lips giving Kagome the chills, "I did not want a second…female. I did not want to bind her. I had no choice and if I had not," he stopped again shutting his mouth tight. "What happens between Rin, Natsuki and I must happen. You cannot try to stop it when it happens."

"Why should I even help you?" Kagome folded her arms and leaned against the booth. "It doesn't seem right. If I know you are going to cheat on her, then I should stop you. And what do you mean you had no choice? That is such a guy thing to say."

"You know nothing of my kind. We are made to fall for our instincts, male or female. If we come across one that is meant for us, a soulmate, we become primal, instinctual. There are no choices," he said quietly. "I did not want to hurt her."

Kagome felt bad for him again. He seemed lost and broken behind his harsh exterior. "What happens if I don't listen to what you are telling me? Rin-chan was my friend. Why should I let you hurt her?"

"If you don't, then what is left of my kind will perish, myself included," he lifted his cup to his lips. "Someone else also felt as you do, hoping they could stop what happened between Natsuki and I."

"Who?"

"Shippo," a small smile creased his hardened features.

"Shippo is alive?" If Kagome could have gotten up in that moment and ran to the little fox demon she would have. She suddenly felt even more guilty for not being able to get through the well. Shippo always slept in her arms or Sango's. She wondered what the little demon was up to, if he was okay. "I miss him."

"He missed you," Sesshomaru's voice was suddenly soft. "He leads the small number of Kitsune that survived the illness."

"What illness?" Kagome suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

"If you would stop chattering, I would explain it to you," he spoke harshly to Kagome. "Are you done?"

"You're still rude," Kagome kicked her feet beneath the booth. She tried to hide her hurt feelings by drinking her coffee.

"Don't pout Kagome, it doesn't suit you," Sesshomaru resumed speaking, "I am told by my nurses I have no bedside manner."

"You're a doctor?" Kagome's mind suddenly started flashing back to a clinic in Osaka when her father was alive. He had been sick off and on, with low energy. They thought that it was just because Sota was a colicky baby. They took him to the doctors, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. They were told it was hopeless, he wouldn't survive. They found a doctor that did highly experimental treatment with blood transfusions and found a doctor named, "Sessho Rinata…that's you. I remember you. Oh this is so confusing, you tried to kill me for Tetsusaiga and you save my father from cancer? I was eight why didn't you know me?"

Sesshomaru burst out laughing, "you were fifteen when I first met you and I was 900 years old. You were eight when you first met me, I was over 1400 years old."

"What the hell?" Kagome rubbed her temples, "that makes no sense."

"It makes all the sense in the world. The first time you met me, I appeared as I do now," it was the first time she noticed the points of his ears were tucked into the sides of his hair. He pushed them back revealing the pointed tips, "the next time you saw me was in the past in Chichiue's tomb. Why would you recognize me with my markings, my hair down, and my mokomoko in my traditional garb?"

"I feel sick," Kagome's flopped her forehead against the table. "You saved my father," she smiled into the wood and sat up. "Why would you save my father? You hate humans?"

"How can I hate that which I loved the most?" Sesshomaru asked Kagome. "I did not save him. He died during the transfusion," he reached into the back of his suit jacket and removed Tenseiga. "You know this sword. I used it to save your father."

"He's dead now," Kagome said sadly. "I remember. He felt cured the moment he left your office. He was so happy and then he died four months later in a car accident. It's so stupid, to survive something like that only to die." She sighed and leaned against the booth, "I barely knew him. How are you hiding your markings and your mokomoko?"

He ran a finger across his face smearing something Kagome couldn't see, "foundation and my yoki can be used to change my appearance," for a brief moment she saw the fur wrapped around his shoulder until it disappeared just as quickly.

"Okay. So if I understand this right…in three years somehow I am going to get to go back. You are going to marry Rin-chan, have children with her, cheat on her."

"I did not cheat on her," he said rigidly.

"Okay so what do you call taking a second wife?" She put her chin onto her palms with her elbows on the table.

"Natsuki is not my wife. Wife is such a shallow term. There is no taboo against Inu-yokai being bound to more than one, but yes, you must not stop what has already happened. Sometime after what happened an illness came. Somehow it affected everyone, yokai and hanyou alike. Two of my sons one from Natsuki and one from Rin held the key to the cure. Their blood when combined with other herbs ended the illness. Tsukimaru must be born when he was. Nothing can stand in the way, no matter the pain it causes Rin."

"I'm not going to like doing this," Kagome closed her eyes, "I really don't like the idea that I have to watch her suffer."

"Her suffering becomes her strength. You must help her leave me."

Kagome sagged against the back of the booth again in disbelief, "this conversation makes no sense…why should I do that?"

"After we lost our third child, she became different. Her fire died out. She was sad often. She suffered from what today would be diagnosed as panic attacks and anxiety," he gripped Tenseiga's hilt and sheathed it behind his back again. "Strangely being separated from me, gave her back her fire, her confidence."

"What happened to her? I mean is she?"

"Dead? Yes, centuries ago."

"How? I'm sorry. I really shouldn't ask. I really liked her. She was such a sweet little girl," she muttered as she scrunched a napkin in her hands.

"The best," Sesshomaru agreed. "She was an old woman when she left me. Content."

Kagome studied his golden eyes. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The lines under his eyes deepened. Spiderwebs of red spread around his iris, his nails dug lines into the table. She put her hand over his, "you're scratching the table. How old was she?"

He moved his hand out of hers, "she was one hundred and sixty seven when she passed away."

"What!?" Kagome slammed her hands down on the table, "how in the hell did she live that long!?" She tilted her head staring at Sesshomaru in utter shock.

He was making the most peculiar noise she had never heard before. It sounded like a rumble, but he covered his mouth while he made it. "Cursing Miko? And here I thought you were too proper for something as low class as that."

"Sorry," she said quickly, "how?"

"My yoki inside her body. When the disease ended, you drew samples of her blood. Something else you will learn about in time," he steadily tapped his nails against the table. "When I bound her, a portion of my yoki slowly began to build in her body taking over her vital functions, slowing the aging process. At forty she looked as if she were twenty. When I examined the blood sample, we discovered that half of her cells behaved as if they were my own," Sesshomaru smiled. "She had a good life, longer than we expected.

"Wow, wait you examined her blood? So do I like courier messages between you and yourself?"

"Yes. Although my younger-self believes the messages are from your brother Sota who will also become a doctor. If you're finished, we should leave. I will treat the injury on your arm."

"So you have more than three children don't you then? You said one son from the other woman."

"Demoness. She was Inu-yokai like myself," Sesshomaru stood up. He waited in front of the booth for Kagome to follow him. "I have five children. Yuki, Harutoga and Taiyomaru from Rin. Tsukimaru and Taka from Natsuki." He walked out of the coffee shop. He let Kagome take the lead.

"Where did you live?" Kagome held her sore arm while she walked.

"Do you know Lovers Park in Osaka?" He walked with his claws in his pockets.

"That was you two? I thought it was your father and Izayoi."

"No, father's estate was near Sendai. Bukoseno is still there, I believe you will meet him in your thirties. He is an ancient Magnolia tree. I still speak with him at times. The story is missing a few details. She did not die of illness. She was merely old. I held her as she took her last breaths."

"Wow," Kagome turned to the stairs to her shrine, "this way. So what exactly are you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to slit a vein in my wrist and let my blood pour into your wound. You will most likely experience a burning pain and a fever that will last eight to twelve hours. If you were bound to me, you would not experience the pain at least. I will remain for the duration of the fever until it breaks."

"How will you explain yourself to my mother and brother?"

"Your mother will remember me as a doctor. I will tell them that I met you sick and brought you home. The fever will be very high. Should they decide to take you to the hospital the doctors will not understand what they see."

"And that means what?" Kagome opened the door to her house, "momma? Jichan? Sota?" She called. She was answered with silence, "whew no one is here."

"My cells," Sesshomaru followed her into the house, "attach to your T-cells, increasing their reproduction in essence making them as if you were yokai. At the same time the yoki from my blood, will combat Naraku's poison. It will purge his and knit your skin back together. You won't have a scar." Sesshomaru stood inside their quaint living room. Buyo rolled his back against Sesshomaru's leg. Sesshomaru snarled at the cat scaring it off. "You will want to lay down. The fever always made Rin so weak she could barely speak let alone stand."

"Okay…um just don't get any ideas," Kagome motioned him towards the stairs. She let Sesshomaru into her room. She took her cardigan off and sat on her bed.

"Get comfortable," he sat down on the bed next to her. He removed his brown suit coat and Tenseiga from his back. He unbuttoned the cuffs of his right arm, revealing the stripes on his wrist. "It will hurt. Bare it." He slid one claw across a blue vein in his wrist. He flexed his fingers as the crimson liquid dripped onto Kagome's open wound.

"Oh Kami, that burns," she squeezed the sheets. "It really hurts," tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Sesshomaru tore the last several inches of his sleeve off and tied it around the cut in his arm. He set a gentle hand on her bare shoulder, "the pain will pass." He slid off the bed and sat on the floor of her room. Buyo tried to come in and sit on his lap. He growled at the stupid cat sending it fleeing.

"You could be nicer to Buyo," Kagome wiped a tear from her eye. Her face was red with fever, her skin felt like it was burning. "How often did you do this to Rin?"

"She will become a warrior. Powerful, strong, so attractive. She was injured often. Nine years into our relationship I finally discovered I could close her wounds with the spiritual bond, directing the yoki in her body to control her body's different systems."

"Why did you become a doctor? I thought you hated humans," Kagome tried to keep her eyes open.

"Perhaps that is a story for another time," he removed his blackberry from his pocket and scrolled through his growing messages.

"You have a cellphone?"

"I am a doctor. I am always on call. Although I do not receive my calls easily from my home."

"You don't get service in Osaka."

"I don't get service in the skies. Perhaps as technology improves, one day I will be able to."

"You live in the sky?"

"In my mother's home. She died during the illness."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, she was old."

"So are you," Kagome laughed.

"She was much older, ancient. So much so she forgot how old she was. Rest Miko."

"How do I go back?"

"I don't know," Sesshomaru answered honestly. "Perhaps as time goes on in the next three years we will discover the secret."

"So I'll see you again?"

"I'll leave my card. It has the office number, my cell is on the back. If I am not at home, I will answer. I spend most of my days in the clinic."

"What happened to the other one?"

"She is still alive."

"Don't you miss her? Being away from her all the time?"

"No," he put his phone away. "We never experienced love for each other. Our relationship is built on obligation. Nothing more. We agreed to remain together after the disease to further our kind. If she would go into heat again it would help. There are so few of us left," he seemed sad.

"How few is few?"

"Of the ones I know of? There are perhaps two hundred and fifty demons alive in this time around the world. Only fifty are pure blooded of various species. In my own family including myself there are only five. We are the last five remaining pure-blooded dog demons in the world that I know of. The remaining are handful of more than hanyou but less than pure blooded, a larger number of hanyous and the rest are more human than yokai. Shippo has several females. One is pure-blooded, two are human. In a matter of centuries my kind will be gone."

"Is Inuyasha still alive? Why hasn't he found me?" Her voice broke.

Something changed in Sesshomaru's eyes. They were distant, absent, far off. "He is here." Kagome didn't like how the pitch of his voice changed, how it became lower, and forlorn. "You will see him again. Focus on your studies, finish high school. The time will come."

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Kagome's eyelids slowly covered her eyes, sending her into a deep sleep.


	2. The Most Deadly Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome reconciles what Mukotsu did to her with the help of a friend.

**The Most Deadly Poison**

She woke up in a cold sweat. Memories of her old adventures before the Well closed and she wasn't able to get through ran through her head. She could still remember the feeling of being trapped, not being able to move, the poison choking her, blurring her vision and making it impossible to see. She took a deep breath, hugging herself. It was the middle of the night. Her mother, brother and grandfather were sound asleep. She wiped her eyes, surprised to find tears. It wasn't the first time she had dreamt of Mukotsu.

The dead-body walking stalked her dreams. There were many memories that she had to sort through after she returned to the modern era. But for over a year, one seemed the most persistent. His hands, he had touched in her ways no one had and no man should, without consent. She was so terrified that he would rape her but then Sesshomaru came and saved her. She still didn't know why. She had seen dead bodies, villages destroyed and vision that would send most to a mental hospital. But why did Mukotsu have to keep coming back to her?

Kagome rose shakily off her bed and rifled through the drawer in her night-stand. She hadn't spoken to him in a year. His card was found in the back of her drawer. Over time, she realized it became difficult to speak to her family about her experiences on the other side. Her family had never really seen real demons, besides Inuyasha and they led a quiet life working at the shrine. Her friends were great too, but they also didn't know what it was like back then. She rubbed her forehead that felt a bit sore and tried to ignore the weight behind her eyes.

Right before they defeated Naraku her mother had bought her a cellphone. She was glad that it meant she didn't have to leave her room. She opened the large window to let the fresh air in, again hoping that Inuyasha would jump through it. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she decided to make the call, even if it was one o'clock in the morning. "Rinata-sama."

"You're awake?"

"Kagome," he chuckled on the other-side of the line. "It's been a year. How are you?"

"You are entirely too friendly, it's weird."

"Would you prefer stoic silence? I'm not sure that is the best way to communicate over the phone."

"Um…" she wiped her eyes, unable to stop her voice from cracking "Can I ask you something?"

"Miko," his tone became tender as if he was speaking to an old friend. "What's wrong?"

"Why did you save me from Mukotsu?" The tears poured from her eyes as she slid down the wall onto her butt and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I think you know the answer to that question."

"I couldn't get away."

She could hear him breathing on the other end of the line and then shifting and then speaking to someone else. It sounded like he was talking to children and then he returned his attention to her. "Do you want to talk to me about it?"

"I don't have anyone else to talk to. You knew what he was doing?"

"I knew."

"How?"

"Scent. I'm sure you don't need to be told how sensitive my nose is."

"I couldn't get away," she picked up a blanket to wrap around her shoulders. "I keep dreaming about it."

"Have you spoken to anyone else about it?"

"Who am I going to tell? That a dead-man, revived by a Shikon-Jewel was…" she couldn't get it out.

"Say it," he encouraged her.

"I don't want to," she sobbed into the phone trying to keep her voice down.

"You know one of my grand-children finds me entirely too cynical and believes I lack emotional depth and expression. Therefore she decided to go to school and gained a doctorate in applied psychology."

Kagome snorted, flicking snot off her nose while grabbing a tissue and then blowing her nose.

"She said I am emotionally constipated. She's concerned that I have lived fourteen hundred years as a repressed old fart, although one doesn't typically pass gas when they are constipated."

That made Kagome laugh.

"Really I view it more as impacted. The more you hold in-"

"Are you really using a poop analogy?" The tears were suddenly gone and replaced by the corners of her lips twitching.

There was laughter on the other end of the line. She didn't even know he could laugh. He was always so quiet and unemotional. "Shall I use a cardiac thrombosis instead?"

"I don't even know what that is!"

"Then we'll stick to fecal impaction."

"I don't know if you're making me feel better or worse."

"Just listen to me. You experienced many traumatic events during your time in the Edo. The worst was with Mukotsu. Your Autonomic nervous system, what controls your heart, lungs and the automatic processes we don't pay attention to, is attempting to tell you through dreams and the obvious panic with which you called me that you are repressing the trauma of what was done to you. If you talk about it, expel it, you'll see in time that the pain of what happened will pass. Similar to the pain caused by constipation, once the blockage is relieved."

"But he didn't rape me."

"It was close Miko," he said rapidly and seriously. "I saw what he was doing to you."

"How did you know?"

"Scent," he said as if she should understand what he was saying. "Men when aroused have a particular smell, like salt and humidity combined. Usually a female also smells of heat, like boiling water, or the first rays of a morning sun. I smelled fear, your fear and an aroused male, that is not how intercourse is supposed to smell. If I hadn't come, he would have raped you before my derelict brother got there."

"But it wasn't rape."

"Sexual assault isn't always about intercourse."

Her mind flashed back to where Mukotsu's hands had been, his fingers, the way he groped her.

Her tears came again.

"Have you told your mother?"

"She would just be worried," she muttered. "I don't know how to tell her about this."

"Would you like to speak to my grand-daughter?"

"You want me to see a therapist?"

"Psychologist actually but it might help you. It helps me, although Fumi tells me that it would take centuries of therapy to relieve me of my constipation."

Kagome started chuckling again. "I guess. We don't have a lot of money though."

"Family discount. I'll give her your number."

"Thanks Sesshomaru," she said finally getting off the floor and sitting on the edge of her bed. "Can I…can I tell you about it?"

"Of course."

"It's the middle of the night?" she questioned him.

"I'm on call. If it helps you get back to bed, you can speak to me."

"Now you sound like my dad."

"I've only raised five children, eighteen grand-children and many, many more great-grandchildren and so forth."

"You really don't mind?"

"I may get bored and fall asleep if you don't start talking."

"Okay," she exhaled and began telling him what she remembered from that day and how it had made her feel. For his part, Sesshomaru listened patiently and then told the story from his side. By the end, her heart did feel lighter. "Thanks. You were an ass then."

"I know. I was also the most powerful demon of the age and I'm still the most powerful demon. It's possible that my son might rival me one day, but not now."

"You are so arrogant. I'm going to get strong enough to purify you."

"One day, go to sleep Miko."

"Goodnight," she yawned as he hung the phone up. She fell asleep in her bed, for once not troubled by the dream she kept having.


	3. Waiting for Kagome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha waits for Kagome to come back through the well

He kissed her. He had finally done it and done it with all his heart. Her lips felt like fire against his. They were just as plump and full as he had always imagined. She tasted like the dew of the earth, like home. His heart fluttered in adulation. Shortly after that, Kagome wished that the Shikon no Tama would disappear from the world forever. They landed together, holding hands, Kagome leaning against his chest at her side of the well. She ran from his arms to her parents. Something hit him in the seconds he had before the well sucked him back in. He wasn't the only one that loved and worried about Kagome. It wasn't all just about him. _Love?_ He asked himself. Before he had a chance to examine the warmth in his heart further, a vortex of white light swallowed him. The Well dragged him back down into a brilliant luminescence and suddenly he was emerging on the other end, in his time, alone and empty.

He emerged on the other end to a sobbing Shippo jumping into his arms, "Inuyasha! You're alright!" The red haired fox demon screamed.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku ran to the well as Inuyasha climbed out.

"Inuyasha, are you alright?" Sango asked him. "It's been three days."

Inuyasha stared down at the well in shock. It had never kicked him out before. _Three days?_ It hadn't felt like three days. He gave Shippo a pat on the head and handed the tiny burden over to Sango. Without a word, he leapt back down into the well only to be met with the dirt, "Kagome?" He touched the bottom of the well, "Kagome!" He yelled. He felt them burning in the sides of his eyes again, the tears he had cried when Kikyo died. He jumped out of the well and leapt back in. He hit the floor again, no lights, no powerful streams of energy. "Why won't it open?"

"Is Inuyasha-sama back?" Came a tiny little voice from the top of the well. Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, his face red and frustrated.

"Rin?" He flew out of the well and landed on the ground.

"Is Kagome-sama okay?" Rin asked him.

"She's fine, she's back in her world," he fled from his friends. In the distance he heard them all calling after him. He made towards the forest. He needed air and space. He didn't understand. His heart was furious, his mind was racing. Why couldn't he get back in? How could three days pass? Would he be able to get back in? Was it a fluke? "Argh," he felt a fist slam into the side of his face, the blow sent him flying through the forest, whacking his back into tree trunks, splattering splinters and skidding through dirt. "Sesshomaru, bastard," he said rubbing his cheek, "what the hell was that for?"

Sesshomaru loomed over Inuyasha, silver hair flowing to the side in the wind. "You will see to her safety." He barked at Inuyasha then flew into the air disappearing.

"Who's safety?" Inuyasha pulled himself off the forest floor. "Bastard," he continued rubbing his cheek free from the pain.

"Rin," Shippo jumped out from behind a tall tree. "He left her here to live with Kaede-sama."

"He left Rin?" Inuyasha shook his head and sat down. He plopped his chin into the palms of his hands. "Nothing is the same."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku called, followed by Sango. "What happened to Kagome-sama?"

"She's safe," Inuyasha stood up and that was it. He would tell them no more. He left them as quickly as they had found him. He found a tree with large branches to sit in. He jumped into the highest bough that would hold him and closed his eyes. It was all too much. The kiss replayed in his mind over and over. He touched his lips, as if the pads of his fingers could mimic the warmth she gave him. He wanted Kagome back. She felt like she belonged against his chest. He sniffed the front of his red haori breathing in the last traces of her smell. She always smelled like sunset, and flowers. He didn't really know which ones, but she had a sweet smell that was coupled with the humidity of sunset. He wanted to hold her again.

He spent hours in the tree until nightfall. When the stars twinkled in the sky and moon rose high he finally came out of the tree. He ran back to the well and leapt inside. He jumped over and over and over again, time after time after time trying to get through. He pounded his fists against the dirt. He slammed his hands into the side of the well. He yelled a feral howl at the night wind in frustration before finally exiting the well and collapsing next to it on his back in exhaustion. He hadn't slept in three tiny eyes stared down at him. "Are you okay Inuyasha-sama?" The little girl asked him.

He sat up and tried to smile at the her. Her cheeks were puffy and red, her eyes blood shot. "What are you doing out this late Rin?"

"Rin can't sleep," she sat down and folded her knees into her chin.

Inuyasha stared at his hand like it was a foreign object and placed it on the slender shoulder of the girl, "you miss him, don't you?"

She nodded. It was all she needed to start crying again.

"I miss Kagome too," he said quietly sitting with her. He rubbed her back, something he had seen Kagome do often to Shippo. Apparently the motion was too much for little Rin. She wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's stomach and flung her face into his belly, soaking his shirt in tears and snot. Inuyasha stared down at her unsure what he was supposed to do. He settled on patting her back and resolving to wash his clothing. He could almost feel Sesshomaru's eyes on him somewhere in the distance watching. "Bastard you should come out," he muttered so quietly not even Rin could hear him. When he looked down again at the little girl, she was breathing evenly on his lap. Inuyasha pat her head and cringed when he saw Sesshomaru emerge from the trees.

"What is wrong with her?" The elder brother asked.

"You know nothing about humans," Inuyasha picked Rin up. "First off, she's exhausted. Second off, you can't just leave little kids without it having an effect on them idiot," he stalked over the hill in the direction of Kaede's hut.

"You will care for her," Sesshomaru growled, "should harm come to her, you will pay with your life."

"Whatever," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

Sesshomaru grabbed him by the shoulder, "you will pay with your life. Can you smell it?"

Inuyasha raised his nose and tasted the air, "ogres. What did you do to piss them off?"

Sesshomaru grit his teeth, "I had hoped my absence would give her peace. The forest is teeming. Take her to her bed."

"That's what I was doing," Inuyasha tried to walk forward again.

"You will protect her," Sesshomaru grabbed Inuyasha's arm.

"Ok…" Inuyasha grit his teeth, "I already agreed to that."

"She will not experience harm," the dai-yokai warned.

"Anything else? Should I keep her from getting married when she comes of age? Ward off butterflies from landing on her nose? Scare off mosquitos?"

Sesshomaru snarled at Inuyasha's sarcasm.

"You can't stop her from experiencing life Sesshomaru. Life," Inuyasha paused and sighed sadly, "doesn't always work the way you hope."

"Where is Kagome?" Sesshomaru inquired.

"Back in her time," Inuyasha said quietly turning from Sesshomaru.

"You will explain this? Her time?"

It dawned on Inuyasha that Sesshomaru had never known that Kagome did not belong to their era. He grunted annoyed and sat down on the grassy slope with Rin still in his arms, "you take her," he plopped the little body into Sesshomaru's arms.

A look of wonder came over Sesshomaru as both his arms snaked around the sleep child.

"What? You act like you never held her before," Inuyasha stuffed his hands inside his sleeves.

"I have never held her in both arms," Sesshomaru admitted softly, more to himself than to Inuyasha.

"Sorry about that. You know, cutting off your arm and all," Inuyasha gazed at the stars. He wondered if Kagome did the same. He imagined her in the courtyard of her home next to Goshinboku staring at the same stars that he did.

Sesshomaru snorted, "explain."

"Kagome was Kikyo's reincarnation. She came through the well almost a year ago. She was attacked by a centipede demon. It cut the Shikon no Tama out of her side. That's when she freed me from Goshinboku. We learned that the Well connected this time to hers. She is from five hundred years in the future. She goes to school there. She has friends, family. People who care about her. She wasn't from this time."

Sesshomaru nodded, his eyes still one the two hands that held Rin. "School?"

"You know, reading, writing," Inuyasha scoffed at his brother. "Do you know how to read?"

"Why would I not? I learned as a child in Chichiue's home," Sesshomaru stood up with Rin in his hands. "You will tell Kaede to teach Rin to read and write."

"You aren't staying?"

"No," Sesshomaru walked with Inuyasha up the hill again, away from the forest, still holding Rin. "I will rid the forest of the ogres. She will live safely here. Can you read Inuyasha?"

"Ka-san taught me," Inuyasha seemed sad for a moment, "she died when I was still a child…at least I think I was. My body was still a child."

"Is that why you wanted to be a pure-blooded demon?"

"You could have brought her back," Inuyasha snarled at his brother.

"She was old, and no I couldn't. Tenseiga can only bring back the dead back once," They stopped in front of Kaede's hut. Sesshomaru bent over entering the house. He returned empty handed.

"You were an ass," Inuyasha told him.

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"I wanted to be like you," Inuyasha turned his back on his brother. "I wanted to make Oyaji proud."

"He is," Sesshomaru uttered quickly then flew back towards the forest.

Inuyasha went back to the well. That night he slept next to it, the wind his company. His body curled around it hoping at any moment Kagome would leap out and find him.

Time passed. After several months his daily jumps into the well became checking it every three days. Each time his hopes raised. He would wake from dreaming of Kagome in his arms, run to the well, convinced that this time it would open, only to be disappointed. In the meantime, life carried on. In that time Kohaku fully recovered from his ordeal with Magatsuhi and went to find another village of slayers to train with. Shippo traveled back and forth between the fox demons he had found before and the village. Miroku and Sango decided to make a home for themselves in Kaede's village. They both had nowhere else to go and wanted to remain among friends.

A week after Naraku was defeated, they decided it was time to get married. A grand wedding was planned with everyone in the village pitching in. It was their way of thanking them for saving the village during Naraku's attack. It was made in the field on the outskirts of the village. Musicians came from other villages, Miroku dressed in a simple long black kimono rather than his traditional monk garb. Sango wore a long white kimono with ivory flowers embroidered into the fine silk fabric.

Six weeks after the lavish wedding for the standards of the village, Inuyasha found Sango doubled over in a crop of bushes puking her guts up. He blanched at the smell. "Sango are you okay?" He ran up to her.

"I'm going to kill Miroku," she said lightly, her face pale and her skin tinged green.

"Why?" Inuyasha asked.

"He got me pregnant," she wiped her mouth on her sleeve and wavered as she stood.

Inuyasha caught her by the elbow and led her to his back. He hadn't noticed the sound of little feet next to him, "you're pregnant Sango-san?" Rin squealed in delight.

"Yes," Sango covered her mouth. She climbed onto Inuyasha's back, grateful for the relief. The motion of Inuyasha walking with her made her head spin.

"Inuyasha-sama, where do babies come from?" Rin asked.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks. His body covered in sweat, his tongue tied in his mouth. "Um…" He fumbled for words.

Sango laughed, "ask Kaede-sama," Sango told the little girl.

"I can't find her, where do babies come from?" Rin followed behind them.

Inuyasha sensed a rush of power. Sesshomaru landed next to Rin as Inuyasha steadily plodded to the other side of the village with Sango on his back gagging. "Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin yipped in delight, "where do babies come from?"

Sesshomaru's mouth fell open. He coughed uncomfortably and shifted his weight awkwardly on the balls of his feet.

"You didn't think to explain it to her?" Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

"She is a child," Sesshomaru bit back at Inuyasha.

"Rin, do not ask Sesshomaru-sama such silly questions!" Jaken bellowed running to keep up with the rest.

"But why not? Sesshomaru-sama doesn't have children," Rin jogged next to them, "how did Miroku-sama make you pregnant Sango-san?"

Sango lowered her eyes into Inuyasha's neck blushing.

"Sesshomaru-sama will explain it to you," Sango flashed roguish brown eyes at the Dai-yokai.

"You will?" Rin giggled happily. "Sesshomaru-sama, how are babies made?"

Sesshomaru's face contorted. He flexed his knuckles at Sango, who giggled into Inuyasha's Haori. "Yeah my brother can explain it, can't you Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha gave Rin a playful push to Sesshomaru. "Well…we're waiting to hear Sesshomaru. How are babies made?" Inuyasha stopped in front of Sango's hut and let her off his back. He supported her as she walked into her hut and laid down. "I'll bring you something to eat. Where is Miroku?"

"Doing an exorcism two villages over," she sighed closing her eyes.

"Congratulations," Inuyasha smiled, "does he know?"

"I told him last night," Sango grinned rubbing her lower abdomen, "the baby will come in the beginning of Spring."

Inuyasha smiled lightly and left. Rin was still jumping up and down around Sesshomaru's ankles listening to Jaken blather on about how babies were made. Somehow Sesshomaru had deflected the responsibility and plopped it into the lap of the green imp. Inuyasha covered his mouth to hide his laughter.

"Jaken-sama that's gross," Rin's face was white, "that's really how babies are made?"

"Yes, it's the same for yokai as it is for humans," Jaken said proudly.

"So why doesn't Sesshomaru-sama have children? He does that all the time," the little girl skipped after Sesshomaru who was speedily walking away from them. "Can you not have children? There is a couple who spent ten years trying to have a baby. Can you not make babies?"

Inuyasha bit his bottom lip as they disappeared over the next hill.

Time passed on. Inuyasha and Miroku made a name for themselves slaying demons that bothered humans. Jinenji and his mother came to live in the village. She was getting sick with some human ailment and Jinenji was happy to live in a village where the majority of people were kind to him. He helped to till a large piece of land, planting a large crop of herbs that would serve as medicines. Sango's stomach seemed to balloon so quickly it even made Inuyasha concerned. "It's probably twins," Kaede spoke quietly one winter night as Sango whimpered on a bed of furs. She was covered in sweat, her long hair was matted. Every so often she cried rhythmically rocking her hips as she knelt on her hands and knees.

"Is the baby really coming this time?" Rin asked excitedly from inside the hut.

"Yes, it's time," Kaede answered.

"Inuyasha, Miroku, go wait outside," the elderly woman instructed them.

"I'm not leaving her," Miroku held Sango around the shoulders as another contraction ripped its way through her body. Sango cried in pain.

"Come on Miroku," Inuyasha hefted him up by the shoulders. He sat on the front porch wondering what would have happened had he stayed with Kagome. Sango was sixteen having her first child. It was odd seeing so many unmarried girls in Kagome's time. At fifteen she should have already been married, or at least engaged to someone. Inuyasha flushed at where his thoughts were going. He had thought about it, making love to her. The first time he felt a warmth for a woman was Kikyo. They did little more than kiss. Any time he tried to take it further, she stopped him, reminding him that proper Japanese women waited until marriage. Miroku swore that he and Sango never went further than hugging and kissing until they were married. He wondered if he and Kagome would have done more, but the question always remained where would she have lived? Would she have been happy staying by his side, becoming a mother so young, or living in her world? His kind didn't exist in her world as far as he knew. Either choice they made, one of them would have to leave their world behind.  
Inuyasha shuttered, rolling his arms. Something felt off. He was so lost in his own thoughts he hadn't noticed the scuffling of feet inside the hut or the worried hushed voices. He heard screams shaking the wooden walls. Even those sounded tainted with a feeling that made his stomach cold. Then a rush of yoki landed in front of them. Sesshomaru landed with Tenseiga drawn. "What are you doing here?" Inuyasha came out of his thoughts. Sango's cries were getting weaker.

"I smell death," Sesshomaru pushed Miroku out of the way and entered the hut.

"Sango?" Miroku ran after him. A small cry filled the air, the mewling of one little baby.

Sango lay limply in a heap sobbing holding an infant to her bare breast. Rin held another little baby in her arms. Its body was blue and unmoving. "Sesshomaru-sama?" Her little eyes were blood shot, she brought the baby over to him and rest it at his feet, "please, Sesshomaru-sama. Save Sango-san's baby. She got stuck. Her shoulder wouldn't come out. She isn't breathing. Please, Sesshomaru-sama? For Rin?" Brown eyes stared up at harsh golden ones. They begged him for the kindness and compassion she knew lay deep within.

Something changed in the golden eyes as he gazed at his little human begging for the life of another. Sango already owed him a life. Now she would owe him two. "Back away," he took Rin's little hand in his. He moved her away from the lifeless body. They all observed in shock as he raised the rusty old sword into the air and slashed into something none of them could see. The infant's skin changed from blue to cream. It opened its mouth and shrieked at the top of its tiny lungs. Rin flung herself at Sesshomaru's knees nearly knocking him over. She wrapped her skinny arms around his knee joints squeezing them.

"Thank you Sesshomaru-sama!" She picked up the baby and ran it to Sango, "she's okay now. Look! She's okay! What will you name them Sango-san?"

Sango wiped her tears. She nodded at Sesshomaru, "thank you! Thank you!"

Miroku bowed low to Sesshomaru, "thank you Sesshomaru-sama."

"Be careful with her life," Sesshomaru said as he left the hut, "Tenseiga can only be used once. She will not have a second chance. Rin, come," he led his little girl from the hut.

"Only once?" Miroku hugged his daughter tightly to his chest. "We'll call her Kiseki, miracle," Miroku kissed the soft cream brow of the tiny baby.

"Can we name this one after my mother?" Sango asked Miroku. "Her name was Hana," she lay down on her side breathing tiredly.

"Kiseki and Hana, wonderful names," Kaede stood up.

"Congratulations," Inuyasha tickled the chins of the two babies. He stood up, "I'm going to find Shippo," he said and left. It wasn't really Shippo he sought. It was quiet. Miroku and Sango had their own family now. What was left of his was an arrogant older brother who at best tolerated his presence. He found himself fleeing in the directions of the well again. He wanted so desperately to join Kagome on the other side. He had never thought before about being a father, about being anything more than a pure-blooded demon, but those thoughts were long gone. He jumped over a large boulder, into a tree, and then landed by the well. "Why can't you open?" He said sadly sitting on the corner of the well. "Does she miss me? Does she spend her time thinking of me, the way I think of her?" He raised his knee up and set his chin down on it. "Kagome…"


	4. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome is finally able to return to the Edo and well..it gets steamy

**I love you**

Time continued to pass for Kagome. She didn't hear from Sesshomaru for some time after their strange interaction. All she remembered from it was that she was supposed to make sure he married the other woman and to help Rin leave him. Everything else was a blur, especially after the whopper of a fever he gave her burning Naraku's poison out of her body. As promised, he left a card with his cell phone number, the address to the clinic and his personal email. The idea that he had an email confounded Kagome. Only the year before, for her anyway he was trying to kill her. She kept the card in her sock drawer feeling as if somehow she was betraying Inuyasha by speaking to his brother. She programmed his cell number into her own phone but never called him. She didn't understand what the dog demon meant that Inuyasha was here. If he was, why hadn't he come looking for her? She tried to make the best of her days as summer ended and school started again.

She went supply shopping with her mother. Part of that was finding a new uniform. She needed a completely new set of clothing. The colors were navy blue and white this time. They spent the day in the mall when they came across a sporting goods store. For a reason Kagome couldn't fathom, she asked her mother if she could look inside. Her feet took her of their own accord straight to the back of the store where the archery section was. When she had reappeared on her side of the Bone Eaters Well, her bow and arrows were missing. After months of being out of practice she found herself itching to practice again. She hadn't been able to participate in sports before because she was constantly on the other side of the well. Archery was the one thing she knew she was good at.

Mrs. Higurashi leaned against the side of a display case watching Kagome carefully. All summer long nothing seemed to interest Kagome. It was like she was in a fog. She knew her daughter cried at night for Inuyasha. It was painful as her mother to watch her long for a love she couldn't have. She went from one place to the next, not showing much of a passion for anything. Kagome went to the wooden bows. She picked up a long bow that went just a few inches above her head and stopped at her knees. She leaned her knee against it, stringing it herself. She tested the strength of its release and smiled. She stopped smiling when she pulled the price-tag back and saw how much it cost. She sighed sadly and put it back on the shelf.

"Kagome?" Her mother called her.

"Yes momma?" She answered running her hands along the smoothed wood dreaming of her life as it was before.

"Do you want it?" Mrs. Higurashi had a sixth sense about this. She hoped it would pull Kagome out of the funk she had been in.

"It's a lot of money," Kagome sighed walking back to her mother holding her other shopping bags.

"Let's get it. Aren't there archery classes at your new school?" Mrs. Higurashi beamed proudly, "you should compete."

"Maybe," Kagome glanced back at the weapon that had become her constant companion in the past.

"Let's splurge," Mrs. Higurashi ran and pulled the bow off the display case. She handed it to Kagome. "Now let's find a good quiver and arrows for you. Come," she grabbed her daughter's hand excitedly.

Kagome followed with laughter in her heart as her mother tapped her chin trying to decide which ones would be best for her. A store clerk came over with an arrogant puffed out chest, "do you need help deciding which arrows would work best?"

"No," Kagome answered quickly pulling a leather quiver off the display case. It was similar to the style she wore in the feudal era.

"Let me help you with those," the clerk insisted.

The second his fingers brushed past Kagome's, she nearly shrieked. She hadn't felt energy like that since she left the past. The merchants eyes changed from brown to green, then back to brown. He let go of Kagome's hand and fled behind his desk whistling nervously. "Um…momma? Can you go find me some different arrows for this? I think I saw them on the next aisle. Some long ones, with thicker shafts would work better for this kind of bow." She wasn't sure if that was true. She locked eyes with the store clerk as her mother left. She approached him cautiously, "you're a kitsune aren't you?"

"Kitsune hanyou," the clerk hissed, "but don't tell anyone. I'm not supposed to live among humans."

"Says who?" Kagome asked him.

"The Dog Lord," the clerk trembled.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome balked.

"You know him…he's going to kill me," the Kitsune trembled. "He's going to kill me. I'm going to die. I'm sorry, I need to leave…I'm sorry."

"Wait!?" Kagome caught him by the wrist, "I'm not going to tell him."

"But you are a Miko, I felt your power," the young man was practically quaking worse than any earthquake that had ever hit Japan.

"I won't tell him. Do you know Shippo?"

"Everyone knows Shippo," the hanyou told her.

"Are these good Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi returned with several different packages of arrows for Kagome to inspect.

Kagome looked at her mother then back at the counter. The clerk was gone. Her mouth went dry. She shook her head trying to understand what had just happened. She set the packages on the counter and chose the ones she thought would match the bow the best. They paid at the front then walked out of the store. "Do you want to try them out?" Her mother asked her. "I know of a place on the way home."

"Sure," Kagome answered her mother, feigning happiness. Her fingers twitched against the cellphone in her bag. What the hell was he thinking? Kagome walked with her mother through the busy streets until they found an archery shop. Mrs. Higurashi paid for an hour and sat down happily with a book from her purse and their shopping bags while Kagome went out to the range. She tested her bow lightly again, loaded the leather quiver with arrows and began taking her aim. Her shoulders and wrists burned against the taught string. It really had been a while. She eyed the target at the end of the range, released the string and watched her arrow run into the chain link fence and flop onto the ground. _Oops._

She missed the first four shots completely. She felt distracted. He said there were two hundred and fifty in the world that he knew of, most of them were hanyou…but why couldn't they live among humans? Kagome fumbled the next arrow and shrieked in annoyance. "Do you need help?" One of the store owners asked her.

"No I don't!" She yelled. She pulled her cell phone from the pocket of her yellow sundress and dialed Sesshomaru's number. She had no clue if she gave him her number that night. She had been too out of it from that stupid fever. The phone rang several times and went to voicemail. _You've reached the voicemail of Sessho Rinata, leave a message. If this is urgent please call my office. Thank you._ Kagome wanted to shriek, since when did he become so prim and proper? He actually used the polite form of speaking instead of his usual demeaning speech. "You are an ass you know that?" She yelled into his phone, "why can't demons live among us? You better call me back!" She fumed closing the phone. She picked the bow back up and aimed at the target. She imagined it was Sesshomaru's face there and hit the bulls-eye right between his arrogant golden eyes. "Great, now I can only hit my target if I'm mad…"

Several shots later her phone rang. She picked it up.

"What did you see?" He sounded worried. Kagome wasn't used to this new Sesshomaru. He emitted more emotions than the previous one did.

"A kitsune hanyou, why?"

"Where are you?"

"At an archery shop why?"

"Stay there," the phone clicked.

"I'm only staying because I have half an hour more," she told herself then wondered where the hell he was coming from and how he planned on getting to her in thirty minutes. Driving took six hours, flying in an airplane took three hours. She picked her bow back up and aimed down the line. She missed just as she felt a gust of wind brush past her.

"You missed Miko," Sesshomaru stood next to her with his black suit jacket swung over his shoulder. He scrutinized all of the arrows that scattered the floor.

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes. "Move out of my way."

"Am I at risk of being hit with your aim?" He walked backwards to the target. "Let's see if you are as dangerous as you think you are."

"I'll purify you," Kagome called to him.

"Not likely. You lack the strength…for now," he laughed at her. "Tell me what you saw."

"Why?" She raised her bow at him and aimed down the middle. She tried to remember what Hitomiko had told her as Sesshomaru stood at the other end with his hands stretched out to the sides. He wore a white button down shirt and black slacks. She waited and waited for the symbol to appear, the shape that let her know she was on target, instead of firing mindlessly. Somehow that skill was second nature to Kikyo, but for Kagome it was still being learned.

"Do I need to explain? The business of yokai in this world is no longer yours," he said smugly. "Are you going to shoot?"

She focused on his chest and released the arrow.

He caught it in his hand before it could touch his skin. "Is that the best you can do?"

"I really could purify you," Kagome answered.

He just shook his head, "you really can't. You saw a demon?" He pressed her again.

"Aren't you going to get in trouble for standing out there?" Kagome asked him.

"They can't see me," he put a finger to his lips.

Kagome growled frustrated, "okay…fine," she pulled the arrow back up, "you really want me to try to purify you? Are you that desperate to die?"

She was only met with light laughter.

She let her holy power rise inside her. It felt good. She hadn't needed it in months. She drew on it like a well, and focused it down the shaft of the arrow. "Why was he afraid of you?"

"Where did you see him?" Sesshomaru quipped back.

"You first," she insisted.

He shook his head, "you can't understand."

"Try me!?" Kagome's hands shook. _Do I really want to purify him?_

"You needn't fear Miko. You lack the strength to destroy me. You may try though. It would benefit you to keep your skills sharp. Where did you see him?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me why it's so important!" Kagome closed her eyes. It was a mistake when they opened he had her around the neck, off the ground and pinned against a tree. She coughed trying to breathe. "Sesshomaru?"

"Where did you see him?" His tone was no longer that of a friend.

She shook her head stubbornly.

He tightened his grip and let a slow green mist envelope her neck.

She struggled against his grasp. She had no choice the poison was dipping into her skin stinging like she had been in a fire. She grabbed his wrist focused her power against him. His skin bubbled in blisters. She called on more of her holy power. He grit his teeth in obvious pain but his hand remained clasped around her neck. She drew on so much power she thought she would pass out from the pleasure of holding it only for his arm to turn red and his claws to remain in her neck. "A store in the mall. The sporting store," she finally choked out. "Why can't I purify your poison?"

He flew with her back down to the range and dropped her limply in the dirt. "Thank you."

"Why do you care? What are you Lord over Japan now?" She stood up holding her neck.

"Something like that," he snorted. "Continue practicing," he instructed her and left.

Kagome kicked the dirt. Another strange interaction. She let it go.

**Three Years Later**

Time passed. Despite her best efforts to get the well to open, it stayed shut. She tried everything she could think of including listening to long lectures from her grand-father and sorting through old scrolls in their shrine to find some clue to the secret of the well. Time passed. Kagome checked the well every three days. She wept by it. She ate by it She played with Buyo and answered annoying questions about girls from Sota next to it. She didn't see Sesshomaru again for another year after the second encounter. He insisted on helping her maintain her strength. As for what she was unsure. He had promised she would make it through the well again in three years. His words weren't good enough. She wanted through sooner. Eventually they met once every week at the archery center. Kagome could never get over the fact that no one ever saw him standing in as her prey. He even blurred his torso at times to give her a view at the target. No matter how much of her holy energy she called on, she couldn't purify him. He was too powerful.

"Why can't I ever sense you before you show up?" She asked him one day annoyed that he had snuck up on her. Again.

"If I wanted you to sense me you would. Do you think what is left of my kind have survived by flaunting their yoki?"

"If you can live among humans why can't the others?"

"They lack caution."

"Why did you care so much about that hanyou?" She nocked an arrow and let it fly. This time it hit its mark. It flashed into Sesshomaru's middle making his shirt sizzle. "Are you okay?"

She was met with a haughty smirk and claws that melted the arrow, "is that really all your power? No wonder you can't get through the well."

"What are you talking about?"

"You once told me that it was connected to your spiritual power. Have you tried opening it while drawing on your reiki?"

"Is that what it is?" She had never thought of calling it that before. "No…" she said quietly. "When in the summer was it?"

"I don't remember," he said quietly, "it was five hundred years ago."

"You have many memories of five hundred years ago," Kagome pulled another arrow up to her cheek.

His eyes cast over. She noticed that happened whenever he thought of Rin. Whenever Sesshomaru's mind went back to her, she likened him to a lost puppy dog. "I used my memory for other things."

"Don't you have anything left? Pictures?"

"I have our children…at one point I had pictures. They were destroyed when our home was attacked by monks after her death. I believe it was sometime in the early 1800's when travel to America became common. Natsuki and I heard of the same disease that had killed our own kind destroying yokai on the other side of the ocean. Someone must have carried it over there. My children with Rin were already grown. I left the house in the care of my eldest son, Harutoga. In my absence our home was attacked. The barrier I used to protect it no longer stood. There was no Monk or Miko who remembered the old magic used to erect it or that would help yokai. Harutoga was not home when it happened. His mate was human and fled with her children. Our home and what was left of our village, were razed. That is when I removed what was left of our kind to the skies. We have been able to keep from being detected. Yoki can still hide it from satellites. If they found us…"

"I'm sorry," Kagome frowned at Sesshomaru. She had learned in the last three years that he had never quite gotten over Rin's death, no matter how peaceful he claimed it to be. "Do you know where the disease came from?" She remembered that much from the first conversation, because it pervaded so many others. The disease devastated his kind.

He shook his head, "I know it was concocted by monks who followed Ungai after his death. I found a scroll in a temple in the Northern Provinces in the early 1900's when I returned from America that said he had created a toxin so powerful it could kill even the strongest yokai. Even the one who bewitched a human child to follow him and stood against seven monks." He tilted his head slightly waiting to see if she remembered that incident.

"You," Kagome covered her mouth.

"According to the scrolls, he never quite got over being defeated by my yoki or that Rin followed in my footsteps. I have spent centuries trying to track down the source. It was most likely delivered by a group of monks. It was contagious once one was infected. I hunted the rumor of one monk across Europe with Rin. We never found him. We found his wake in wasted yokai village, but never the monk himself. When travel between continents became more common, the disease spread across the world. Natsuki and I have spent centuries stock piling and delivering the cure, saving what is left of our kind."

"If you find the source are you going to stop it?"

"I am not a god Miko. Even I cannot presume to change the past."

"Why do you stay with her if you don't love her?"

"We are the last surviving pair of dog demons. The only hope of creating more of our kind."

"Why haven't you?"

"She hasn't gone into heat since my daughter Taka was conceived. Without that, there is nothing I can do. So we wait. Are you going to shoot again?"

"There's no one else?"

"We have tried interspecies breeding, to put it lightly," if she only knew that he had tried with the mate of Kagome's son. It was long after Sota's death. It resolved Sayako's heat but did not produce a child. "When both are pure blooded, or even mostly pure-blooded it does not work. Not even among those that are closely related, fox demons, wolf demons," he leaned against the chain link fence and kicked at the dirt.

"You tried with others?" Kagome covered her mouth in shock.

"I've told you before, there is no taboo among male dog demons to be with more than one. Yes I have tried impregnating females of other species, a few wolf demons, a few kitsune. It does not work. It seems the only relations that create offspring are with one's own kind or with humans."

"You never…with another human?" Kagome couldn't believe she was having this conversation with Sesshomaru. Good Japanese girls did not have these conversations. Especially not with men. Well maybe it didn't count because he wasn't a man.

"Don't act so innocent Miko. You never dreamed of being with my brother in that way?" Sesshomaru's eyes reflected humor.

She bit her lower lip and turned a bright shade of red. She had. In the middle of the night, she tried not to but that last kiss haunted her. She wanted to be with him again. She dreamt of his body melding into hers, of feeling him move inside of her. It was ridiculous, but she wanted him to be her first.

"When it opens, don't waste your time waiting for a human wedding," he pushed himself off the fence. "Shoot." He encouraged her.

"But it's not…"

"Appropriate?" He rolled his eyes as he often did during these sessions. "He misses you. He is waiting for you. The day will come," he said confidently. "And no. Rin was the only human I was ever with. It would be unfair to humans of today, to give them the burden of raising a hanyou. There are those that have tried. Children in orphanages are most often targeted for reproduction."

"Is that why you freaked out?"

"During that time I heard of rumors of teenage girls becoming pregnant in an orphanage in Osaka by shadows in the night. The children were being born with strange deformities. Clawed hands, fur around their torsos, fangs. It was two Kitsune, one a hanyou, one pure-blooded. Your friend at the sporting store was one of the culprits. It is beneath our kind to do something like that. It is not the way to save our race."

"What happened to the children?"

"They are with Shippo now. They were all orphaned by their mothers save one. You see, there is no simple solution."

Kagome made an 'oh' with her mouth, then shut it tight. She wanted to change the subject. She didn't like seeing him mope. "I finish school this week. My last day is tomorrow."

"Congratulations. So we're done? You don't wish to shoot me again?"

"I'm good," she collected her arrows. "Thanks for the help with biology and math," she laughed as they left the shop. Her shoulders burned from too much practice. "How did you learn all that anyway?"

"Time," he answered her.

"I still don't understand how you became a doctor," Kagome said. He had refused to answer the question. Two years of these once a week meetings and he had not spoken of it.

"One day," that was always his refrain. A buzzing noise went off in his pocket. "It's my office. Enjoy your graduation. Miko when you do make it back, you cannot speak of me to anyone in that time. We are not gods. We cannot change what has already happened." He flew into the air. For someone who wanted his kind to live quietly, she wondered how no one ever saw him disappearing into a ball of light.

Kagome finally graduated. She walked across the stage with a sense of relief. Sesshomaru's words played out in her head. She had once told him that the well was tied to her spiritual energy. She tried daily after that infusing the well with as much power as she could to get it to open. Sometimes she felt the briefest tickle, as if an echo was answering her from behind the well. Sometimes it made her fingers tingle, a few times she almost lit the wood on fire.

Kagome said good-bye to her childhood friends, Yuki, Eri and Ayumi. She had never thought a day would come when they would no longer pal around together. They were all off to colleges in different parts of the world, forget Japan. Yuki was going to the United States, Eri to England and Ayumi to a large college in Osaka. That left Kagome. She applied for several programs but wasn't sure what she wanted to do. He said she would go back this summer. That was all she cared about. She had tried to enjoy her final years in school. She had even tried going on a few dates but that tug she felt whenever Inuyasha was around simply wasn't there with anyone else. She dreamed about Inuyasha all the time. It seemed the closer it came to that three year marker the more he haunted her dreams.

One night she found herself sitting by Goshinboku. They had been able to talk to each other once through the ancient tree. She called his name over and over hoping he would answer only for silence to find her. That night she sat by the tree annoyed. She tried, she really had to just move on in the three years. The next morning she dressed in a simple blue skirt, maroon shirt and light pink cardigan. She put on a pair of slip-ons and meant to go meet her friends. Like every morning she went to the well. She set her hand son top of the worn wooden edges. She closed her eyes, _I want to see Inuyasha again…please!_ She cried softly. A single tear fell from her eye down onto her hand. In that moment, she felt something like the wind whisper past her. She looked down at the well and opened her mouth in shock. She could see the sky. Her lip trembled in hope.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi entered the ratty shack in her cooking clothes. She came down the steps and hugged her daughter around the shoulder. Mrs. Higurashi saw the sky at the other end of the well, "it's ok Kagome. Go."

"I don't know if I'll be able to come back," Kagome glanced at her mother.

"Your heart has been there since you left. Go," she hugged her daughter. "Kagome…" Mrs. Higurashi paused holding her daughter's hand. "Don't waste your time."

"Momma?" She didn't understand.

Her mother hugged her tight, "enjoy him."

Kagome climbed over the side of the well. She leapt full force with her arms outspread. She felt the sudden rush of power as if the well was drawing on her reiki. She smiled as it sucked her through the familiar glittering vortex. She landed lightly in the mud on the other side. She knew she was home. She gasped when she saw a clawed hand reach down through the well. She grabbed it and was hauled out of the well, "Inuyasha! I'm sorry, were you waiting for me?"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha cupped her chin and pulled her into a kiss.

"Kagome!" Shippo appeared out of nowhere and leapt into her arms. The Kitsune's tiny body seemed as if it had hardly grown in the last three years. He wore the same midnight blue hikama, turquoise top and furry red vest around his middle that he always did.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku held two black haired little girls in his arms.

"Kagome-chan!" Sango cheered holding an infant that looked like he was only a few months old on her back.

"I'm back!" Kagome squealed. She ran and hugged all of her friends, "who are these three?"

"Hana and Kiseki," Miroku introduced the little girls. They wore matching Kimono's and once freed from their father's grasp they pounced on top of Inuyasha chanting _inu inu!_

"This is our son, Kenshen," Sango did a slight twirl to show off the little boy. He had lighter red hair compared to the dark hair of his sisters. He yawned opening his gummy mouth wide.

"I'm back!" Kagome squealed pressing everyone into a hug. Inuyasha dug his feet in, uncomfortable with the close contact with everyone else. They released each other and started the slow walk back to the village.

"A lot of things have changed," Inuyasha told Kagome. He started with telling her how three years before Sesshomaru had left Rin in the care of Kaede. Kagome was shocked that the dog demon was able to part from his little girl. They spoke of Rin often, but she had forgotten most of that first conversation. It never came up again. The only part she remembered was not to interfere when the rival lover came except to help Rin leave Sesshomaru. The rest was a blur. She had been so out of it and so shocked it all fell from her memory. Rin ran around with some of the other children singing and dancing. "He comes every full-moon to visit her around sunset. Scares the hell out of most of the village when does. Shippo comes and goes, don't you Shippo?"

"I made it to the next rank in the fox demon exams!" The little demon boasted.

"You can see our changes," Sango flushed bright red. "We have three children."

"And plan to have many more," Miroku slid an arm around her waist and pinched her bottom. Even married it earned him a slap in the face.

Kagome found herself blushing again. She picked up Inuyasha's hand in hers. She wrapped her fingers around his and gave his palm a soft squeeze. She listened to them tell her stories over the last three years. She heard about Kohaku making a name for himself in the slayer world. "He doesn't want to stay with you?" She asked Sango.

"He's fourteen. I think a part of him still is healing from what Naraku did to him," Sango answered sadly. "We offered. It was too hard for him to stay. He left with Sesshomaru-sama three months later. He knew of a village miles and miles from here of slayers and dropped Kohaku off. That was when Kohaku was twelve and I was afraid to let him go alone. Since then, he stayed there and now he slays demons that trouble humans."

"Is Rin happy here?" Kagome felt like she was home surrounded by her friends.

"Mostly," Miroku answered. "She's found friends with the other children. It took her a while to adjust to being here and to be happy. She looks forward to his visits. She'll be happy you returned. She asked about you often."

Kagome smiled. They walked through the grassy fields, over the hills and through the forest until they neared Kaede's hut. "Inuyasha?" Kagome knew what she wanted. That kiss, it was still on her lips. She could still feel his breath against hers. "Forgive me, everyone…but…" Her cheeks burned red, he hands shook.

"You want to be alone?" Sango said with a knowing smile.

She nodded her head.

Sango pulled Kagome into a hug, "relax and it won't hurt as much," she whispered.

Kagome nearly lost her breakfast. _Is it that obvious?_ Shippo climbed out of her arms and landed on top of Sango's shoulder. He pulled his cheeks into painful looking contortions making the little baby gurgle in laughter.

Inuyasha knelt down on one knee with a grin on his face, "like old times?" Even his voice sounded nervous.

She climbed onto his back, now all too aware of how her legs felt wrapped around his waist. She tried to keep her breathing steady as he leapt into the air. How she had missed this, the feeling of flying without really flying. Inuyasha was so fast the earth beneath her blurred as he ran. He brought her deep into the forest, past the Bone Eater's well. He leapt over a few more stones until they were near a lake. He landed in the center of the water on a rock. He let her down and joined her sitting on the boulder. Kagome took off her flats and dipped her toes into the water, "I missed you," she said quietly holding his hand.

"I missed you, Kagome," he pulled her closer to him as they used to do, when she would lean against his chest. "How was it over there?"

"Different," she sighed quietly. "It was strange never seeing any demons and not looking for the Shikon Jewels. I was relieved to see my family, but then you were gone and I couldn't get to you."

"I tried," Inuyasha held her hand in his lap. "It wouldn't budge for me."

"Me either. What did you do? All these years while I was away?"

"I helped Miroku slay demons. We work together exterminating them and I keep the village safe from thieves. Well mostly from thieves. He may only visit once a month but Sesshomaru is in the forest every other week," Inuyasha sniffed the air to make sure that he wasn't there this time. He pulled the bottoms of his red hikama up and dipped his toes in the water next to Kagome's feet. He ran the side of his toes up her ankle. He had dreamed of her night after night, praying that she would one day return.

Kagome smiled at him. The feel of his toe against her skin made her entire body tingle with life. "Inuyasha," she whispered timidly.

He cupped her chin in his hand and pulled her mouth to his. The connection was every bit of heaven it was before. His lips were warm and hot. His claws tickled the skin of her bottom lip. Somehow the kiss increased in intensity. She held onto the front of his haori with her hands pulling him closer. He wrapped his arms around her back, under her arms and drew her closer to him, until she was completely pressed against his chest. He felt himself harden. She felt the skin between her legs become hot with need. Their tongues sloppily darted in and out of each other's mouths. Kagome jerked back breaking the kiss to catch her breath.

"Is it okay?" Inuyasha asked her. "I should probably ask you to marry me…but…" he wasn't sure what he was feeling, something was bubbling in him. It almost felt like it did when he transformed. His eyes felt like they would pitch red at any moment. His fingers trembled against her back. Nervously, finger over finger he lifted the back of her cardigan up to reveal the smooth, supple skin of her back. He ran his middle finger back and forth over her skin. "Kagome?"

"What?" Their lips brushed against each other's as they spoke. She had not released his haori. She found herself wanting to feel more of him.

"I…" his cheeks transformed to crimson, "I want to…" he couldn't quite get the words out. She was here with him, where he wanted her and the first thing he wanted to do was to make love to her. He had felt a jealousy he didn't know exist when Miroku and Sango were finally able to actualize their relationship and an emptiness that haunted him knowing that the other half of his soul was trapped on the other side of the well.

It was as if Kagome knew. She unbuttoned the top button of her cardigan and let it fall over shoulders revealing a spaghetti-strapped maroon shirt. Inuyasha's mouth fell open. It wasn't that he hadn't seen her before. He had on accident many times, and perhaps on purpose a few times. He smiled at her and slid one of the straps off her shoulder. He set her mouth against her skin, tasting the heat of her neck. She cleared her throat, leaning into the kiss. "Inuyasha?" She sighed in question.

"What?" His face came back to hers. He let a hand run up her shirt and very tenderly cup her petite breast. She hissed in pleasure, unused to the contact. "Is it okay?" He was practically begging. Whatever was boiling inside of him, was yearning for release. He shook his head to stop his mind from giving into whatever was surging through him. Her nipple hardened against his thumb.

It suddenly dawned on Kagome that she had come to this side of the well without a condom, not on birth control because she hadn't dated and if they followed through on what they were about to do, it was very likely she would be pregnant as quickly as Sango had. She pulled out of his grasp just enough to gather her thoughts that were already turning to goo, "I haven't done this before," she said bashfully.

"Neither have I…can I touch it again?" His voice changed several tones with the last request.

"Okay," she leaned back into his hand.

"Do you like it?" He loved how soft and firm it felt. Her nipple hardened against his fingers.

"It feels good," her voice was getting husky. "Is there somewhere more private we can go?"

"You want to?" He couldn't begin to express his relief. He felt like he was going to explode from pressure.

"Yeah…I shouldn't at least maybe I shouldn't want to. Maybe we should get married first? It's just, kami your hand feels good," she pulled his mouth back to hers. Their bodies melded together on the rock by the peaceful lake. "Please, make love to me?"

Inuyasha nodded very seriously. He picked Kagome up bridal style. He ran his thumb across the skin on the inside of her leg. She whined in pleasure. He leapt further into the forest until he found a crop of trees and bushes. His sense of smell insured that the area was empty and it was far enough away from the village it was unlikely they would be disturbed. They both stood holding hands, gazing into each other's eyes. "I love you Kagome," Inuyasha set Tetsusaiga down on the forest floor. He removed his red outer layer and spread it down on the forest floor. He removed his inner layer next giving her silent permission to remove some of her layers. As soon as his chest was bare he pulled Kagome by the wrist back to his chest. He pulled her small maroon tank top over her head revealing a black lacy bra covering her slender breasts.

He pressed his lips into hers. She followed suit, pushing her mouth into his. His hands ran the length of her bare back, pulling her closer and closer in a rhythmic fashion. He fumbled with the back of her bra. "Slow down," Kagome whispered.

"Slow what down?"

"Um…I think we're supposed to go slower, touch each other more," she couldn't fathom why her voice wouldn't get lower. She felt clumsy running her hands along his body. His muscles were firmed and his skin balmy.

"Touch how?" Inuyasha held her hands confused. "I…can I see?" He tugged lightly on the front of her bra.

Kagome suddenly realized neither one of them had any idea what they were doing. She had heard about orgasm but had no idea what it felt like. She had secretly read a few books about different positions. What teenage girl didn't? Just because they didn't have sex didn't mean she wasn't curious about it. She reached behind her and steadily unclipped her bra. She let it fall forward in time to see Inuyasha's mouth drop open and visibly water. He fell to the ground on his knees in front of her. She walked into his open embrace. He grasped her breasts in his hands, careful of his claws. He pulled the bright pink rose of one into his mouth suckling it lightly.

"Wow," Kagome arched her back holding on to his shoulders. She ran her hands through his hair, "Inuyasha," she cried his name. Her underwear was getting wet, she wanted to see him. She could feel him pressing against her leg. The suckling became more intense, more powerful. He engulfed larger bites of her breasts into his mouth. "Mmmh," her toes curled.

"Kagome you're beautiful," he pulled her down onto their make shift bed. He dipped his middle and ring finger into the sides of her skirt and pulled off both her skirt and underwear in one swift motion. He united his own obi and let his pants fall down to his ankles. He kicked them off and nestled himself between Kagome's legs. They weren't as flexible as he had hoped. Her chest was heaving, her stomach perspired. He had a need to taste what lay below but was unsure if it was considered proper. He positioned himself on top of her, arms on either side flexing in anticipation.

"Wait!" She shrieked pushing back on his chest, "I'm not ready yet. Stop…stop…" she sat up breathing heavily.

"What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked her bewildered, pulling himself back and sitting on his haunches. "Is there more we are supposed to do?"

"I don't know…kami I'm on fire…um…well in my time the men do more. They don't just do…" she took a calming breath trying to remember what she had read in the few magazines she had managed to sneak past her mother with her girlfriends when they were having slumber parties. His very engorged member was staring at her. "Will you touch me," she guided his hand to her curls, "here first? Help me get used to…wow," her hand floated over to his firmness. "Can we touch each other?"

"Okay…I" he stuttered out, his breath coming in pants. That overbearing feeling was coming again. It was almost too strong to hold back. It was like a piece of him needed to reach inside her and connect to her. "I'm not sure how to do it without hurting you. I can't retract my claws."

"Just be gentle," her voice rasped lightly. She stared at his hardness that was already bubbling at the tip. It looked smooth and red with warmth. She told herself to just do it, to just touch him. She wrapped slender fingers around his hardened excitement. She gathered the moisture of the tip and ran it down the scorching length.

"Kagome," his forehead fell against hers, "Oh," he moaned and rocked his hips into her hands. He thrust back and forth against her fingers until he felt like he would pop. He grabbed her hands and pulled back. "I really…"

"Touch me please?" She asked him laying on her back and letting her legs fall nervously to the sides.

"Okay, I don't really," he started. She guided his fingers up to the area that felt like it needed the most attention. Her walls tightened at the contact of his fingers. "Like this?" He leaned on one elbow with one leg curled up. The pads of his fingers clumsily found the bud between her legs. He stroked it up and down tantalized by the way it caused Kagome's eyes to glaze over.

She gripped his shoulder in one hand while focusing on the sensations below. It was her turn to rock her hips into his hands. "Yeah," she encouraged him. "Inuyasha," she moaned pulling his lips to hers, "I missed you. I missed you so much."

"I missed you," his fingers glided down and found her opening. She felt burning and wet inside. He imagined that snug cavern gripping him. The thought made his tip bubble like champagne. He circled the delicate opening with one finger pushing his finger inside. He felt it slip past something that felt like hard jelly.

"Ow," Kagome flinched.

"I'm sorry," he kissed her mouth. His finger circled the tight opening. Curious he pressed to the side of the barrier, then the other side. With each stretch Kagome cringed against him. "I have to break it…we can stop," he hoped she didn't take him up on the offer, he wanted her, needed her.

"No, um try two fingers," she tried to relax when the next finger engaged widening her opening. Tears peeked out of her eyes. His fingers felt like they were cooling the fire and making it worse all at once. He thrust them in and out. Kagome smiled at the contact, thrusting her hips. Inuyasha bent his head down an nibbled on her breasts again. Kagome found the contact enticing, warming, it made the fire come back between her legs. Not knowing that there was more to be felt she inched one leg beneath his stomach, cuing him to come inside.

"Are you ready?" The hurricane of energy was beating at his senses. He didn't understand it. He needed to be inside of her, to feel her in every aspect of his being.

"Inuyasha your eyes!" Kagome pushed his shoulders back. She let her reiki rise just enough to stop the red that had overtaken them.

"What?" He shook his head feeling the rush of power dissipate behind the wall she put up.

"They were red?" She wasn't sure if she was telling him or asking him.

"What did you do?"

"Stopped it," Kagome said. Her fingers trembled along his shoulders.

"Okay," he shook his head. The energy was still there eating at him. "Ready?" He asked her. He climbed on top of her, pulling her torso close to his. His hands rest on either side of her. He kissed her lips then asked again, "ready?"

She nodded nervously.

He pushed his hips into her, first hitting the inside of her thigh, then the inside of her other thigh. Then he grabbed his engorged length trying to find where to put it until she sat up and took it in her hand guiding him to most intimate of places. She widened her legs, tilting them upright as he nudged in. The first contact with the slippery heat inside had him gasping for more. He propelled himself inside not knowing that it would have been better to move slower. Her walls immediately cinched against him.

"Ahhh!" Kagome cried covering her mouth. Her legs shook against him as the pain of his forced entry ripped through her body.

"Shh, I'm sorry…I'm sorry, should I stop? I didn't know it would hurt that badly. Tell me what to do?" He gingerly licked the tears from her eyes. He stroked her hair. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"I think that was a little too fast…are you in all the way?" She couldn't tell. She could feel him inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips giving him more freedom to move. It also made him slide deeper inside of her.

He held himself up with hands on either side of her head. "I'm in," he gave her a gentle nudge so she could feel his pelvis had blended into hers. The motion gave him such an intense pleasure he crashed to his elbows on top of her panting. He wanted so badly to finish inside of her.

"It's okay," she stroked the sweaty hair from his face, "it's okay," she rocked her hips against his signaling him that she was ready for more..

He followed her movements until they found a rhythm together. "Kagome," he moaned, "be one with me," he whispered in her ears but he couldn't manage to draw on whatever it was that was begging to come from his body. He pushed into her once, then again and again. "Oh…Kagome," he grunted and pulled her closer to him, "oh…" He groaned louder, he was losing his composer. He lifted himself up on his hands and knees, the flow came faster, the roll of his hips. He lifted her left buttocks into his hand increasing the pressure of their bodies.

"Inuyasha!" She screamed feeling threads of pleasure before she felt something warm into her body. She cupped his face and embraced his lips in hers. They held the kiss both covered in sweat for several minutes. Inuyasha slowly disengaged feeling somewhat unsatisfied and slightly annoyed that he didn't know why. It was as if he left something undone.

"Kagome," he smiled at the woman he had missed so much. He reached beneath them and pulled his inner layer over their shoulders. "I should build us a home now."

"Where have you been sleeping?"

"The forest," he drew her against his chest. He cupped her face in one hand and kissed her lips more freely now that he had shared his body with her.

"A home sounds nice," she stroked his cheek. "I'm not on birth control," she touched her stomach.

"Birth what?"

"Well in my time we can stop pregnancy if we want to."

"You're pregnant already?" His face turned green. He knew that what they did created babies, but he didn't know it happened that quickly.

"I swear I'm going to tell you to sit," Kagome meant it as a joke but no sooner had the words come out of her mouth than his face hit the ground. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say sit," he slammed into the ground again. She covered her mouth, "I haven't had to be careful with that word in years I'm sorry!" She said kneeling naked over him.

His face came out of the forest floor covered in leaves and dirt. He had it in his head to yell at her, only he was faced with her gorgeous naked body, beautiful curves and the faintest smell of, "blood?"

"Virgins bleed a little," she lowered herself onto his chest. "There's bound to be a little bit of blood. It was nice Inuyasha," she kissed his chest.

"I liked it," he said quietly. "Kagome? Can we do it again?"

"Now?" She felt sore and achy and wasn't sure she could handle it again in that moment.

"Maybe not now…but will you be my wife? And we'll do this all the time?"

"Yes!" She shrieked and hugged him. "I love you!"

"I love you too." He held her. Holding her felt amazing, it felt warm, it felt like home and to his chagrin it still felt like he had forgotten to do something.


	5. After the Act

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha feels restless, like something is missing and doesn't know what until he finds out that Kagome stopped him from bonding her.

**After the Act**

"Really?" Kagome sat by the lake with Rin. They both had their shoes off kicking their feet in the water. She and Inuyasha had stayed snuggled together for a few hours until Kaede-sama came looking for them. It left them both scrambling for their clothes. They gave each other a quick peck on the lips as they unfolded their bodies from each other. Inuyasha grabbed her backside playfully. Then they ran to meet Kaede. Only when Kagome met the hobbling, one eyed old lady did she notice was alone. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. She tried yelling, "osuwari," to figure out where he went but he must have been out of range. She felt frustrated that he didn't come with her. Rin had been with Kaede and proceeded to pounce on top of Kagome, tackling her with a big hug.

The little girl wrapped her arms around Kagome. She came up nearly a foot higher on Kagome than she had in the past. Kagome hugged Rin and smiled. "You came back!" Rin giggled. "I always hoped you would. I have so much to tell you!"

"Um, Kaede-sama," Kagome paused. "Inuyasha asked me to marry him…I just came back. I don't know if I can go back through the Well," she wasn't sure what she was asking. She didn't even know the marriage customs of the times. They definitely did not involve pre-marital sex.

"Oh I'm so happy!" Kaede-sama hugged her closely. "I'll start planning the celebration for a week from now," the elderly woman hobbled away.

Kagome's stomach fell into her feet. _A week? Back a day and I'll be married in a week?_ She shook her head. Things really were different here. That was when she noticed Rin was still there. They ended up by the lake together talking. Rin was much more verbal than she had been in the past. Rin wanted to know all about the different world Kagome was from. Then somehow they came across the subject of how Rin met Sesshomaru. "Wait so Koga's wolves attacked your village and you had been meeting Sesshomaru in the forest?"

"You should call him Sesshomaru-sama, Kagome-sama. It's disrespectful otherwise," the little girl said firmly.

"Okay," Kagome smiled at the girl's forcefulness.

"I went with Sesshomaru-sama after that. He never complained," she slapped the tops of her feet in the water giggling at the ripples that rolled away from the stone they sat on.

"I remember that village. We got there too late. I should yell at him for it," Kagome fidgeted on the rock annoyed. So maybe after that his troupe stopped attacking humans but she had never thought of the children they had killed before.

"It's okay. We met him in the forest when Sesshomaru-sama was hunting Naraku. Ginta and Hakaku recognized me. They tried to keep Koga-sama and Sesshomaru-sama apart but it didn't work. A few weeks after that Ginta and Hakaku told Koga-sama the truth about me and he came and apologized for attacking me and my village," Rin said with a grin that was no longer the toothy one that Kagome remembered. She still wore the awkward pony tail on top of her head. "He let me pet the wolves. I was scared at first but Sesshomaru-sama wanted me to face my fears. Now whenever Inuyasha-sama goes away Koga-sama sends some of his wolves to watch me in his place."

"Really?" Kagome put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. "I guess a lot really has changed." _Where are you Inuyasha?_ Kagome was beginning to wonder if she had made a mistake making love to him so quickly. "That's it…" Kagome stood up.

"That's what?" Rin mimicked the quick stance.

"I need to call someone," Kagome hiked through the forest. Rin trailed behind her.

"Where are you going?" Rin ran after her. "Call who?"

Why was Inuyasha being so weird? She would have thought he would want to be close to her, not run off. Kagome stopped and looked at the little girl. She touched Rin's cheek fondly. "Tell him I'm coming back. I just need to talk to someone on my side for a few minutes. Here, give me a hug," she pulled Rin close to her and gave her a big hug. Kagome held the hug for several minutes until she was sure that Rin's smell covered her shirt and cardigan. "I'll be back." She pivoted and grasped the edge of the well in both hands. She felt it calling to her as if it was sucking her holy powers in. The well breathed life, wind blew through the dark opening. She leapt into the well feet first. The rush of energy covered her, the sparkling lights surrounded her. Her stomach pitched from the motion. She landed lightly on the other side.

Kagome climbed the white wooden ladder that had been left there from so long ago. Before she left, she had left her purse next to the well. It was gone when she alighted from the other side. Kagome went back into the house to find her mother cooking a large pot of soup. "Kagome? Why are you back? I didn't expect to see you for a while!"

"Um…" Kagome's face flushed. She was sure everything about her was red down to her legs.

Sota sat at the table in the kitchen. He was eleven now too. Kagome had never comprehended before that Sota and Rin were the same age. "Sota can you leave the kitchen, I need to speak to momma alone."

"Why?" Sota asked. "Did you see Inu no Nichan?"

Just that made her blush even redder. Her ears were burning. She should have thought about it before doing it but it just happened. It was like one minute she was finishing high school and the next minute, it had felt wonderful but he seemed unhappy and she didn't know why.

Mrs. Higurashi stopped in her tracks taking in the stance of her daughter. Kagome was holding back tears, her skin was red. She tried not to smile. She was young and in love once, "Sota, go to the living room."

"I'm hungry!" Sota protested. "Besides I want to know what I'm missing. Why do you look so upset Kagome?" He persisted while leaning against the cabinet that Inuyasha had once destroyed with Kaze no Kizu.

"It's okay," Kagome whispered out and ran up to her room. The first thing she looked for was her purse she had before. She pulled out the cellphone and dialed Sesshomaru. As usual it went to his voicemail first. It wasn't that he screened his calls. He once explained that he was on call half the week which worked for him. He didn't sleep anyway. If he wasn't there he was with Natsuki whom he didn't allow Kagome to call his wife and their daughter Taka. Or any of his children and grandchildren. When the beep came signaling her turn to leave a message, she couldn't this time. She tried for all of three seconds before hanging the phone up and crying into her pillow. Why did men have to be so confusing!?

A quiet rap on the door brought her head out of her pillow. Mrs. Higurashi opened the door to her room and sat down next to her bed. She pat Kagome on the back like when she was a child. "Did you make love?"

Kagome choked. "How did you know?" She sat up hugging her mother.

"Mother's intuition. I told you to enjoy him," she lifted the hem of her apron to wipe Kagome's tears. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. It was fine. He asked me to marry him. We went to meet Kaede, you remember her? The elderly priestess and then he was gone. I don't know where he went!" Kagome threw herself sideways onto her bed again.

Mrs. Higurashi pursed her lips to keep from laughing, "the first time your father and I made love was in the park." She giggled blushing. "We went for a midnight walk. You know we were high school sweet hearts. It was the summer after we graduated high school. It just happened. Neither one of us wanted to stop. After it happened we both became a bit distant. We hadn't used any kind of protection. And that was in the seventies. I should have used something. After that I went on birth control until we finished college and we had you," Mrs. Higurashi's smile twinkled from ear to ear thinking of her husband. "Are you sore?"

"Mama!" She shrieked mortified.

"It's only normal. Maybe take a warm bath before you go back," she held Kagome's hand. "I bet any minute now he'll come looking for you. If the Well will let him through. Does this mean you can come and go as you please?"

 _The Well is tied to your spiritual power._ Sesshomaru told her that. "Yes Mama, it's not goodbye. I want to live there but I'll come back to visit. I'll come back once or twice a month. Should I get birth control?" She asked her mother now sitting on the bed with her feet propped on the railing and her chin against her knees.

"Life is different over there Kagome. If you start taking something and it doesn't agree with you or you have something put in and there are complications who will take it out?" Mrs. Higurashi picked up a brush from Kagome's night-stand and started brushing her hair. "Girls were married between 12-14 years old in that time. It's not what was best for their bodies or their minds, especially because most of them were arranged and not for love. Perhaps we should have a wedding though." She laughed happily. "Just in case," she pat Kagome's lower abdomen. "Will they be part yokai?"

"I think so," Kagome finally let her cheeks twitch into a grin. "You think I should just let things happen?"

"I think there are risks that are associated with using birth control and if we knew the Well would always work, or there was a doctor back then who could care for you it would be fine if it is what you wanted. You can always use condoms. Do you want to be a mother Kagome?" She divided her daughter's black hair into three even sections and began plating them neatly.

"I think so," she said quietly. Her phone started ringing. She picked it up somewhat relieved to see who was calling. "Thank you momma," she hugged her mom and walked out of the room. "Hello," she said wiping her nose.

"Tears Miko?" Sesshomaru's spoke tenderly.

"I…" she waited until she was back in the shed, leaning next to the Well. "I don't know."

"Did you go back?" He asked her.

"Yes…how did you know?"

"I'm not a seer Miko. It was a lucky guess."

Silence followed.

"Are you going to speak," clicking came across the line. "I have a very long line of patients today and three procedures not to mention a very unhappy female waiting at home for me."

"Um…is there," and she was crimson again. "Is there a reason his eyes would turn red."

She was answered with laughter, a rich deep tenor of notes that trickled through the line. "You stopped him didn't you?"

"Stopped what?" Kagome asked.

"Stopped him from bonding you. Remember, I told you we create spiritual bonds with our soulmates. His instinctual, more animalistic side was trying to bond with you. If it happens again, resist the urge to purify it. He will need you to orgasm first."

"Sesshomaru!" She screamed into the phone.

"I'm merely explaining how the process works. Perhaps you should do some research on that side. Most females need more than what a man does. If I remember correctly he did not have that much experience," more chuckling came from the other end of the phone. "When you see each other again. Do not purify the rising yoki. Accept it as your own. Are you on birth control?"

"I'm not having this conversation with you," she was about to hang the phone up when she remembered her shirt and cardigan. "I saw Rin. She's eleven now…um she hugged me before I left."

"You don't need to save your clothes. I know her scent," he exhaled in the phone. "Listen to me. With bonding often comes children. You will be pregnant before the week is out if it happens again. Ask him to find his love for you and it will control his primal nature. Taiyomaru and Harutoga have both explained the process to me. Their feral side was never as powerful as mine. They did not harm their soul-mates as I did with Rin. If your love is strong enough it will overpower his primal nature."

"Okay," she spoke biting her nail. "You remember her smell?"

"Some things you don't forget. It's not her childhood smell I miss the most. It's the one that was mixed with mine. If you find time to take a few pictures. Those I would enjoy. I'll speak to you again I'm sure. Enjoy your time there," the phone clicked and he was gone.

Kagome looked at the Well. _If I'm going to stay there. There are things I am going to need._ She thought. She went back into her room and pulled out her giant backpack. The first thing she packed was a camera and underwear, lots of underwear and a few bras. Those things didn't exist in that time. She touched her stomach nervously.


	6. Meanwhile....

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha asks Sesshomaru for sex advice...and how to cement the spiritual bond to Kagome

**Meanwhile...**

Something was itching inside of Inuyasha. It was as if it was eating at him from the inside out. Kagome had returned. It was all he had wanted. He made love to her, it felt like heaven, until he felt something rise in him, like it was reaching out to her and then her holy power rose up and squashed whatever it was leaving him a sense of emptiness that seemed misplaced. He should have felt whole and happy. It was as if something was missing and he was unsure what. His yoki felt unsatisfied and there was only one person he knew of that might be able to explain why.

His mother was a proper lady. She passed away when he was physically around the size of an eight year old. He learned through sneers and comments made from the village he lived in and the humans that tolerated him as to the origin of children. It wasn't like he didn't know what to do. It wasn't his human side that felt dissatisfied, it was his yoki. For a few minutes he considered talking to Miroku only to let the thought go when he felt his yoki still bubbling in him while standing next to Kagome. As a Monk, Miroku would know nothing about it.

He could smell his bastard brother somewhere out there. He was in the forest clearing it of yokai invaders. In the distance he heard the crackling of Bakusaiga. The smell was acrid as it burned through trees and flattened whatever invaders were attempting to make their way to the village. Inuyasha was going to kick his own ass for this conversation. The last thing he wanted to do was have a conversation with Sesshomaru about…well…

He knew about love. He had been in love with Kikyo. She had wanted to wait to have a proper marriage after he became human. With Kagome it was completely different. She loved him for who he was. She never asked him to change. There was something intoxicating and provocative to be loved so thoroughly. He jumped over the river, just missing a wave of Bakusaiga's green energy waves. He landed next to Sesshomaru dodging a blow to the face. "Can you ever just greet me with a hello?" He slapped one of Sesshomaru's claws out of the way.

Sesshomaru's foot came flying at Inuyasha's face. The younger brother ducked, only for the older brother to slam the heel of his free foot into the hanyou's stomach. He slid into the dirt leaving a trail of upturned earth. "What do you want Inuyasha?"

"Answers," Inuyasha pulled himself out of the blades of grass. "Something…I feel something."

"And I am to care? Get down," Sesshomaru flew over Inuyasha's head. Another vibrant green blast slashed into the trees behind Inuyasha shredding four ogres into nothing. "They have not ceased their efforts."

"Obviously not," Inuyasha unsheathed Tetsusaiga. "Kaze no Kizu!" White light flooded the tops of the forest taking down two more ogres.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru sniffed the air. "There are no more." He faced away from his younger brother.

"I can't believe I am asking you this…you are the only Inu-yokai I know of and Oyaji is dead." Inuyasha growled annoyed that Sesshomaru wouldn't even face him. "Kagome is back…"

Sesshomaru gasped. He knew now that she had come from a different time. He didn't know that it was possible to come back after such a long absence. Finally Inuyasha's scent made sense. He had noticed something about it had changed. "You were intimate with the Miko?"

"Yeah…but…I don't know. My skin won't stop crawling." Inuyasha straightened his haori uncomfortably. "It's like I'm on fire. I don't know…I don't even know what I'm asking."

"Did your eyes change?" He had still not turned from his position. The way he stood caused his silver hair to sway in the wind.

"Yes," Inuyasha abruptly walked to Sesshomaru's side. "Is this some kind of Inu-yokai thing?"

"You have found your soulmate in the Miko. You are speaking of Inu-yokai bonds," his expression was bland as ever.

They stood overlooking a field of green grass that every so often sprouted pink and purple flowers. The lush blades of grass bent in the light morning breeze. "Inu-yokai bonds?"

"We create spiritual bonds with our soulmates. Although I did not expect a hanyou to have this desire," he sat down raising one knee to his chest. "Sit."

Inuyasha sat down next to his elder brother crossing both his legs. "So that's why my skin is crawling?"

"You must complete the bond."

"What does it do?"

"You think this Sesshomaru knows? Love is for the weak. I only listened to Chichiue long enough to recognize the call of yoki to the soulmate and how to create the bond."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes holding back snorts of laughter. If love was for the weak, then Sesshomaru was no better than a worm in the grass at the mercy of the black crows. He would sacrifice his life for Rin, Jaken and Aun, yet he would never openly admit his love for them. "How do I complete this bond?" He tried to avoid Sesshomaru's icy glare.

"Intimacy…and she will need to peak before you," he never thought he would be having this conversation. It would have been nicer to enjoy the bright blue sky with Rin picking flowers, than having "the talk" with his hanyou brother.

"Peak?" Inuyasha didn't know what he meant.

"Height of her pleasure. Did she reach it?"

Silence. Inuyasha wasn't going to admit that it was his first time too, or that he had caused Kagome pain from his own ignorance.

"Your silence says everything," Sesshomaru snorted watching a gaggle of white bellied pigeons fly from the trees. "There are many ways to help a female reach that point," he could think of a few easily. It was only on rare occasions did he spend enough time with a female to make sure she enjoyed herself as much as he did. He couldn't quite fathom why it was only with virgins. The more experienced demonesses he expected to earn the right to bed him with their own prowess. "There is a bit of flesh on a female, that is prominent below. They find it pleasurable when it touched, kissed," he groaned internally having to discuss this with his younger brother, "licked."

Inuyasha cringed. Sex advice from his brother he could handle it, if it meant his skin would stop crawling.

"When a female is at her height of pleasure, the inside of her opening contracts," he said it as if he were bored.

"Then what?"

"Then you bond her. Your yoki will rise, finding her soul tying the two of you together."

"What does it do? Why can't I just make love to her and that be enough?"

"Our kind require not just physical intimacy but mental and spiritual intimacy. Truthfully I ignored most of what Chichiue said. The bond acts as a protection, against what I am unsure. It ensures her fidelity to you, it comforts the soul. That is all I had the stomach to listen to."

"How do I use my yoki then?"

"You'll know. Perhaps tell your Miko not to resist," Sesshomaru stood up and began walking away.

"That's it?" Inuyasha yelled at his brother's back. Sesshomaru turned into an orb of light leaving Inuyasha in the field alone to mull over this bond he needed to create. He hiked slowly back to the village in search of Kagome. As he made his way back to the village, casually jumping over rocks, leaping from tree limb to tree limb he found her scent going into his forest. He would need to build a home for them. Something made his stomach cramp. The closer he came from the last place her scent touched, he knew she had headed for the Well. Rin sat on the edge of the Well kicking her feet back and forth. "Where is she?"

"She said she needed to call someone," Rin answered gazing at the sky while her hands blindly tied a halo of flowers together. "Inuyasha-sama? Is it hard to learn the sword?"

"You want to learn?" He scoffed. Rin was such a delicate little thing, willowy and often struggled to hike long distances or carry heavy objects.

"Can I? I want to surprise Sesshomaru-sama!" She jumped in jubilation from the Well, tripping on a twig, she nearly fell backwards inside it.

Inuyasha caught her by the collar. "First lesson kid, don't get hurt. You get hurt, Sesshomaru hurts me." He set her down. "You need to get stronger first."

"Stronger how?"

"Running, hiking, climbing. You've seen Kohaku move. You need to practice jumping higher, running faster and carrying heaver objects. Get your stamina up and I'll teach you."

"I'll do it," she skipped from the well happily. "Bye Inuyasha-sama!"

He rolled his eyes, doubting that she would ever be able to do more than she did. He gripped the sides of the well until bits splintered under the pressure of his claws. He kicked the side, "you better let me through." He jumped over the edge, using his yoki to control his rate of descent. He finally felt what had been lacking in the past. A rush of yoki from the Bone Eaters Well enveloped him, carrying him to the other side. He knew he was there the moment her scent became overpowering. He leapt out of the well, landing on the floor of the shack. He found her with a large bag on her back just inside the large shed. Her face flushed. He smiled and waltzed up to her. "You scared me. I was afraid the Well wouldn't let me through."

"I'm sorry," Kagome embraced him half wobbling from her heavy backpack.

"So am I," he returned her hug. "I shouldn't have left like that," he said next to her ear. "Something felt."

"Off?" She supplied the word.

"How did you know?" Inuyasha pulled back shocked. His fingers curled around the top of her arms fondly. He leaned in for a kiss less shy than he had been before. Her lips tasted oddly like strawberries, probably from a gloss she put on her lips. He experimented with their tongues meeting, not really sure how a kiss should feel. It became vigorous rapidly. She clung to him tugging on the front of his haori. A scent filled his nose, it was hot. There was no other word to describe it then hot. She smelled like the humidity of a beach.

"Inuyasha can we try again?" She grinned into his lips. "Can we go to a hotel? I have money."

He knew of this money. It was similar to the coins he had but the currency didn't translate to his time. He felt his yoki building from the kiss alone as he held her hands. "Yes," he hugged Kagome. "Did you bring Ninja food?"

"Yes," she felt at home in his arms. They were warm, inviting and what she had been missing for so many years. She clung to the back of his red haori. "I'll leave the bag here. Let's go downtown. Do you remember where it is? I'll get my wallet."

"You have to let my yoki enter you this time," he muttered quietly kissing her mouth. He was amazed that it seemed like the two of them knew what to do. Their mouths steamed together, licking, nipping, kissing. He caressed her neck.

"I will. I won't stop it. I love you," she flew into his arms once more. He tilted her neck into his mouth. She was heaven, she was home, she was his.

One week later as the sunset, they stood under Goshinboku together holding hands. She couldn't believe it was happening so quickly. At least her mother and grand-father had agreed to wait a few months before performing a quiet service at their family shrine. She dressed in Sango's elaborate white kimono. Rin stood by her side weaving a crown of flowers for Kagome. Kagome held a bouquet although no one understood why. It was a western tradition, she didn't expect them to understand. She didn't ask Inuyasha for anything. He had already given her everything an eighteen year old girl could have dreamed of.

Inuyasha spent the week building them a large hut in the forest that was named after them. They swore to lives their lives together. Oddly enough Sesshomaru stood in the background of their wedding. She had invited him, Rin had cajoled him, so there he stood.

He took his bride back to their private home that he had fashioned with the finest chests and built in cabinets they could afford. Thanks to demon-slaying over the last three years, he had a small nest-egg set away. He took her to merchants and markets to buy what items she thought she needed. Some she brought from her own home. The night after he lay her down on their sleeping mat and made slow and steady love to her. He had mastered in that week finding the place Sesshomaru had spoken of until Kagome was trembling in his arms. That night, she surprised him by taking him into her mouth. He nearly popped like shaken champagne in her mouth. It was heaven, they were together again.

**One Month Later…**

"Onisan!" Kagome yelled up to Sesshomaru as he flew by. She knelt over the fertile soil that Jinenji had helped them plant. Nearby she heard Rin squealing in delight. She pulled another eucalyptus root up wrinkling her nose at the raw smell. She had spent the last month with Jinenji and Kaede working hard to enjoy her new life. "He gave me a dirty look," she whined to Inuyasha who sat next to her.

"It's weird," he grumped back arms folded into his sleeves.

"You know what's even weirder," she elbowed him as she resumed plucking luscious green stalks. She threw them quickly into the basket, learning it was better to check them after they were harvested.

"What?" He kissed her ear.

"I'm pregnant," she shoved him into the dirt kissing his neck.

"Kagome!" Kaede reprimanded her form farther down the field.

"I keep forgetting we shouldn't do this in public." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Inuyasha's mouth hung wide open. "You're…you're…you're…"

"Pregnant," she laughed throwing a root in his face. "What did you think was going to happen?"

He blinked his eyes and gulped air trying to take in what she was saying. "Pr…p…p…"

"You're going to be a father," she picked more roots. "Oh Inuyasha say something!" She yelled annoyed. "I thought you would be happy." The edges of her eyes welled up with tears. "You were supposed to be happy…what's wrong with you?" She stood up angrily, back tense, fists balled. "Why can't you be happy!" She screamed and fled from the field.

Inuyasha sat dumbfounded. His ears wiggled back and forth. He couldn't sputter the words out. He couldn't speak. He couldn't breathe. His chest tightened, why was she so upset. Was he supposed to do something more.

"Osuwari!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

And now his face was in the dirt and a root went up his nose. She could have least removed those when they got married! He groaned in pain trying to figure out the best course of action. One time he had chased her when she was upset she said she wanted to be alone, another time he didn't, she said she had wanted him too. He didn't understand women, and something told him, he would understand her even less now. Then his heart fluttered. She was pregnant, he was going to be a father. _What do you think Oyaji? How strong will their yoki be? Will we be able to tell they even have your blood?_ With that he rose from the dirt, shook his haori off and chased after the woman he loved.


	7. After the Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OMG I forgot to post a chapter...I should have just posted these all together but this is what I get for doing it separately on my accounts.
> 
> Going to work on fixing this. This chapter is when Kagome tells her mom Inuyasha didn't respond the way she wanted LOL

She sat in her room on her bed with arms crossed. Her mother sat next to her hugging her shoulders while she cried. Mrs. Higurashi tried to stifle her laughter as Kagome sobbed, "he didn't say anything! All he did was stutter!" She sobbed into her palms. "He's such an idiot." She wiped her nose, then blew it for the tenth time onto a tissue.

Mrs. Higurashi was nearly biting her lip. "I remember when I told your father I was pregnant with you. He fainted."

"Really?" Kagome felt nauseas. "I think I'm going to throw up," she covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom.

"What's wrong with Nichan?" Sota came around the corner grimacing as his sister heaved into the toilet.

"Sota," Mrs. Higurashi grinned happy at the thought that she was going to be a grandmother. "Go make your sister some tea."

"Why? Is she sick?" They hadn't told Sota yet.

"Just go," Mrs. Higurashi tickled his sides. "Kagome," she held her daughter's hair out of the way. "Be patient with him. Most men don't know how to behave."

"I don't think I thought this through," Kagome collapsed on the rug leaning next to the tub. "Do I see a doctor here? Or let the midwife take care of me there? I don't know what to do!" She burst into tears again.

"Why not both?" Mrs. Higurashi suggested. "There isn't much to care for in the first few months anyway. You just need to eat, drink and try to rest."

"There are demons there," her daughter continued, "and night robbers and no epidurals. Oh Kami, momma how am I going to push a baby out in the Edo era my vagina is going to die!"

This time Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help it, she covered her mouth snorting loudly.

"Why are you laughing at me?" She hiccupped trying to stop her tears.

"Kagome, let's have some tea and crackers," she tried to get her daughter to leave the bathroom.

"I'm a delinquent! I'm an eighteen year old pregnant, priestess wannabe that got pregnant out of wedlock in a field with twigs in my ass by a half-demon. Oh kami, what if the baby has cat ears? What if it claws me from the inside out. I'm going to die!" She buried her head in her knees.

The mother felt the hair on arms stand on end. Behind her Inuyasha gaped with his mouth wide open. She came out to meet him and said, "whatever she says, just say, 'yes dear' okay?" She exited allowing Inuyasha to enter.

"Kagome?" He sat down on the bathroom floor next to her folding his legs in. "I'm happy your pregnant," he kissed her cheek.

"Really?" She blew her nose again and wiped her eyes, "you're happy?"

"Really," he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips holding her chin. His tongue lapped at the roof of her mouth, making her melt into his embrace. "Let's go home."

"Okay," she flushed the toilet as she stood up and washed her mouth out. "Inuyasha?"

"Huh?" He held her hand leading her out of the house.

She yanked him back as they entered the kitchen and whispered in his ear, "I am so horny right now, can we spend the rest of the day naked?"

"Yes dear," he said confidently and loudly and wow did she smell good. He knew that smell, it was like the smell of a campfire, only the heat wasn't from a fire.

"I want chocolate," she said finally smiling again.

"Yes dear," he repeated as they exited the kitchen to the courtyard.

"And I want a bath," she walked back into the house.

"Yes dear."

"Why are you saying that! Say something else!"

"Yes dear?" He fumble for words.

"Osuwari!"

He hit the ground groaning and passing a pissed off look at Mrs. Higurashi. The mother just shrugged her shoulders. "Use my bathtub, there is room for two, neh?" She winked twice and went to Sota who was sitting on the couch.


	8. Rin's Training and Shippo's Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inuyasha begins training Rin and Shippo plays a dirty trick on Kagome

Kaede came limping up to the hut in the forest. "Inuyasha!" She called, huffing as she tried to make it. "Inuyasha!"

Inside the hut Kagome and Inuyasha rushed to pull their clothes back on. Kagome was five months pregnant, passed the phase of feeling sick finally and definitely at the phase of wanting Inuyasha around more often. He scrambled putting on his inner layer, leaving the outer robe off. He ran out the door without Tetsusaiga. "What is it Kaede-baba?" In vain his annoyance was hidden. He wanted to be with Kagome who he couldn't keep his hands off of, not outside. It was well into the Fall. Inuyasha and Kagome had settled on the fact that the baby would be a winter child. He had meant to build a bigger fire pit that day. Kagome was going to go back to her world to buy warmer clothes for the baby.

"It's Rin-chan. I can't find her. She was playing with Satsu and some of the other girls near the garden. When I came back to get her, she was nowhere to be found! I think she ran away again!" The old woman coughed to catch her breath.

"Great," Inuyasha growled, "that kid is always running off."

"It's more than that Inuyasha. Hideki and his friends took her. That's what Satsu told me. They were playing a game of hide and seek. He and his friends took her into the forest. I searched but I can't find her."

His growl became more feral, "damn that kid."

"I have to go to a birth, I needed Rin's help," she plodded heavy footed up the steps.

"I'll help," Kagome exited the hut adjusting her haori, trying to hide the sheen of red and the mousiness of her hair.

Kaede's eye tracked from Inuyasha back to Kagome. Inuyasha visage was stern. He knew Hideki. The boy was the same age as Kohaku and constantly tormenting Rin and Satsu. Even Sesshomaru had scared the crap out of the kid once when Rin was eight but it didn't stop him from coming back to bother her again years later. "I'll go find Rin. Idiot Hideki," Inuyasha said as he left the hut. If you hurt her, Sesshomaru will torture you, then kill you.

It was her blood he smelled first as he made his way to the garden and the sound of cries. He found her with her face buried in her knees and Kohaku who was dressed in his slayer attire kneel next to her rubbing her shoulders. The part of her face he could see was bruised. "It's okay Rin," Kohaku said tenderly. "I got rid of them."

"You should have let me try myself!" Her face rose from her knees. Her left eye was completely bruised over. Instead of the bright brown it usually was, it was purple and yellow beneath and black and blue above.

Inuyasha lithely landed next to them. "What happened?" He sat down next to Rin.

"Hideki and a few of his friends thought they would try to beat her up," Kohaku ran his fingers through her hair. "How'd they get you out here anyway? You know you aren't supposed to be alone with them."

Rin kicked the dirt out from beneath her feet, "he took Satsu's favorite barrette. Her father saved up for a year to buy it for her birthday. It has a red jewel, I don't know which one." She wiped her nose. "I couldn't get it back. They still have it."

"That's one big shiner," Inuyasha felt the skin under her left eye. "When is he coming?"

"Tomorrow night," she started crying again. "He's going to think I'm useless again. Why won't you teach me how to fight Inuyasha-sama? I learned to jump higher and I can run faster now. Kohaku-kun was my age when he learned! I'm tired of being useless," she blew her nose on her sleeve and sighed.

"He won't like it and I'm not interested in being dog fodder," Inuyasha inflected stubbornly.

"Easy for you to say. No one kidnaps you to make Sesshomaru-sama worry. Or hits you in the face just to see what happens when your Mononoke comes to visit," she rubbed the swelling under her eye. "I'm tired of being easy prey. Teach me please?" She looked back and forth from Inuyasha to Kohaku. "I want to stand on my own two feet." She pushed herself off the ground.

Inuyasha exhaled rising off the ground with her. "It won't be easy."

"I know," she said resigned. "Nothing ever is."

"Kagome should take a look at that eye," he moved her bangs out of the way.

"It's alright," Kohaku removed a shell from the shoulder section of his armor. He removed a foul smelling ointment. He dipped his finger inside and massaged it into the mark around her eye. "It won't heal before he comes. He isn't going to like you training." Kohaku held Rin's hand as they headed back to the village.

"Then I won't tell him," she said firmly. "You can't tell him either. He wants me to be this dainty little princess. I'm so tired of people kidnapping me and hurting me just to make him worry. It's not fair to me. If I can at least learn to get away I won't be such a liability. This really hurts," she held her cheek.

"Come on, Kaede-baba was worried about you," Inuyasha followed behind Rin and Kohaku.

"I need to get the barrette back. Satsu-chan is so sad," Rin said with conviction. "Kohaku will you help me?"

"I'll do it," Inuyasha nudged her shoulder. "Come on, if you're going to learn. The first thing I'll teach you is how to sneak around. Get on my back, we're going to scare the shit out of those kids. Kohaku want to join?"

A fiendish smile spread across Rin's face as she jumped onto Inuyasha's back. Kohaku followed behind them swinging from tree branch to tree branch.

"Do you think we should go back through the well?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as they tilled the small garden next to their hut. "Before he comes."

"You think he'll attack you?" Kagome plucked the last of the carrots they were growing.

"Is there a way to hide a bruise that big?" Inuyasha started on the parsnips that grew next to the turnips. "I smell snow. We need to pick the last of the vegetables that are ready. In a few more days they'll all die from the cold."

Kagome sighed. She wished she knew how to build a greenhouse to protect their budding garden. Her stomach popping and jumping made her lose track of her thoughts for a few minutes. "Inuyasha feel!" She said excitedly. She had only just started really feeling the kicks herself.

He sidled up next to her and ran his hand over growing bump. His lips smiled happily into her neck, "boy or girl?"

"I don't know…if I had an ultrasound in my time we could find out," she said mischievously.

"We talked about that though. We don't know what the baby would look like. What if it looks like me? What will the doctors do with that?" Although the idea of him being able to see his baby on a picture did amaze him. She had gone on some machine in her mother's room that was plugged into the wall and hummed a lot and showed him pictures of babies in their mother's wombs. They were black and white and grainy but beautiful. He wanted to see his own child on a screen like that.

"It would help if demon-doctors existed in my time," she bit the inside of her cheek to avoid saying more. Because one does and I have to pretend like I don't know him! I wonder if he has an ultrasound machine in his office? "Are you going to train her?"

"It would make my life easier if I didn't have to rescue her all the time. Although Mr. High and Mighty isn't going to like it," Inuyasha yanked the last parsnip out and moved onto the potatoes. Potatoes made him laugh. Kagome had insisted on bringing back seeds from her time to grow them. He started digging them up, tossing dirt one way with one hand the potatoes into a bucket with the other. "We got Satsu's barrette back. You should have seen it. I had Rin sneak up on them, and then I howled and we made it sound like they were being chased by a pack of wolves. She tripped Hideki, kicked him in the face and filched the barrette. It was great."

Kagome laughed with him. "She's not the same little girl we left."

"No, getting possessed by Magatsuhi and being left here by Sesshomaru-sama changed her. She was softer before, but after, she had nightmares almost nightly about a spirit taking her away and the deaths of her family. I know what Sesshomaru told me."

"You two have been talking more," Kagome smiled. "Are you friends now?"

"Friends? Me and Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha scoffed.

"You are talking more. What do you talk about?" Kagome wondered as she moved on to their tomato bush. "This isn't faring well," she plucked the few last ripe ones from the vine. The rest had withered as the air had chilled.

"The snows are coming," Inuyasha repeated himself. "I don't know. We just talk and fight. Sometimes I get the feeling it's more sparring. His heart isn't in it like it used to be. We need to do something about Hideki though. Sesshomaru scared the crap out of him when Rin was eight. He left her alone, until now."

"Tell him," Kagome adjured Inuyasha.

"She doesn't want him to know," he stood up and went to their apple tree. He leapt into the higher branches with a white bag wrapped around his shoulders. "I think she's tired of being seen as weak and pathetic. She wants him to see her as something more. Someone strong."

Kagome stopped what she was doing. If only Sesshomaru knew…She knew of course that Rin would spend the next six years training fiercely and as the future Sesshomaru said, she turned into a force to be reckoned with. She was a master of hand to hand combat, deadly with her sword and nearly as good of a shot as Kagome was. By the time they started a relationship Rin was downright deadly to any demon or human who crossed paths with her. I guess this is where it starts. "So we won't tell him. What are you going to teach her first?"

"The basics. Self-defense, hand to hand. Stamina, she still gets out of breath, and how to sneak around. Kohaku said he would help when he is in the village. Once she has those down, probably the katana, maybe bow and arrow. She's tired of being a tool of manipulation," Inuyasha tossed an apple down to Kagome. "Can you blame her?"

"Not really," Kagome caught the apple. "What if I could find someone who could do an ultrasound and not flip out? Would you want to see the baby and know what it is?"

"Could you do that?" Inuyasha was suddenly suspicious as he climbed out of their apple tree.

"Um…"she had to think about this. How in the heck would she do that? "I don't know. Probably not. I don't mind it being a surprise."

"Everyone else is surprised, why not us?" Inuyasha moved towards Kagome. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "We should try page twenty three of that book of yours. It looks like fun," he kissed her mouth. "A lot of fun."

"Is that all you can think of?" Kagome looped her arms over his neck, she pecked his lips in return, now more comfortable in their physical relationship. "We should."

"Page twenty-three of what?" Sango came around the corner bouncing Kenshen on her back.

Inuyasha groaned nuzzling Kagome's nose. "I'm going to get more firewood. It's going to be cold tonight." He let her go and went on his way.

"Inuyasha and Miroku haven't talked?" Kagome grabbed Sango's hand and tugged her up the wooden stairs of the hut.

Sango's eyes narrowed in on Kagome. "He tried licking me!" The slayer protested.

"Did you let him?" They ran like two school girls into the hut. Kagome pulled open one of the drawers of her cabinets and removed a book on different positions to make love in. "This is page twenty three."

Sango's eyes dilated as she grabbed the book. "What is this?"

"Don't you do more than just sit there?"

"No, do you?" Sango flipped through the pages. Her mouth fell open the more she went through the pages. "Have you tried this?" She pointed to a picture of the woman straddling the man.

"It's like heaven," Kagome fanned herself. "Wait so they talked?" Kagome chuckled. "Please don't tell me you've been behaving like a good Japanese girl and just lying there while Miroku does his thing?"

"Don't you?"

"No," Kagome lifted herself onto the wooden countertop of her hut and smiled from ear to ear. "No wonder there are pleasure districts. Do you want to borrow the book. You two will have way more fun that way."

Sango's cheeks changed from white to red, "can I? It feels good but it can feel better?"

"You have no idea, like when you get where you want to go, it's like your whole body is on fire. Just take it home with you," Kagome wrapped the book in a spare piece of cloth. "But for Kami sake don't let Rin find it. She was looking for some herbs and found it, the next thing I know she was asking a million questions. I just hope she forgets about it."

Suddenly a sutra fell from the sky, Sango popped into pink fluff and Shippo grinned like the little boy he was. "HAHAHA I got you! And I ranked up!"

"Shippo!" Kagome screamed chasing after him, "give that book back it's not for children!"

"I got you!" He puffed again turning into a giant pink ball.

"Oh dammit," Kagome flushed red not knowing where her book was going to end up. Suddenly a larger more intimidating green ball floated next to Shippo and smacked the book out of his hands.

"Hinatamaru-sama!" Shippo whined, "I won it."

"It's not for children. I should deduct your points for that," he bonked the younger one on the head.

"Oh thank Kami," Kagome clutched the book. "I'm going to kill him."


	9. Sota's Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome gives birth to baby Sota.

**Sota's Birth**

Rin came running into the hut. Kagome's stomach was the size of a watermelon. She sat next to the fire hearth in the middle of their hut. Inuyasha leaned over a pile of wood and metal objects in the back of the rather expansive hut. "How do I put this together? Why do we need it? No one else has one!" Inuyasha complained while trying to put together a crib that Kagome brought from her world.

"Inuyasha-sama, there is a demon attack in the next village over. Miroku-sama sent me to tell you," for once the little girl was not out of breath. She was nearly twelve, finally growing into her gangly legs. True to her word after her conversation with Inuyasha, she had learned to run long distances without getting tired. She could leap like Kohaku. Inuyasha promised to get her a proper bokken to begin learning the sword. "And I'm not out of breath! See!" She jumped up and down as proof to her new prowess.

Inuyasha growled, "can't Miroku handle it himself?"

"Maybe I should go," Kagome stood up.

"I don't think so. He knows you don't want to leave her," Rin grinned happily prancing to the back of the hut.

"No," Inuyasha rose off the ground where he tried to put the crib together. "I'll go. Rin he's coming right?"

"Tonight, but he only stays a day. I can stay with Kagome-sama until he comes," she picked up one of the Miko's bows and an arrow. She lifted it up, nocked the arrow and aimed for a thin piece of wood, "third plank next to the door." She released the arrow. It hit the wall with a thwack, in the exact wooden plank she claimed. "See? I can take care of Kagome-sama."

Inuyasha ruffled Rin's hair. "When are you going to get rid of this silly pony-tail?" He asked her as he picked up his weapon.

"When Kagome-sama takes those beads off your neck," Rin sat down next to Kagome. "Lucky for you I have also delivered many babies too. She's safe in my hands."

"Ouch," Kagome chuckled.

"If I'm not back by the time Sesshomaru leaves Kagome, go back," he rubbed her fingers and kissed her lips cupping her face. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Stay safe, don't go into the forest," he reminded her. "Rin if anything happens, go to Sango and Miroku's hut okay? She'll be safe there."

"Sure," she sat with her legs outstretched, her hands propping her up.

Inuyasha exited. Kagome felt a kick. She touched her stomach, glad that there was only a month left to the pregnancy. She felt gigantic. She could barely breathe and she hardly slept.

"May I feel?" Rin scooted closer. "I'm so excited Kagome-sama," she felt the area of Kagome's stomach that was popping. "He's a strong one."

"Great, you think it's a boy too?" Kagome rolled her eyes pulling herself off the floor awkwardly, grunting as she did. "Now who is going to put this together?"

"I'll do it," Rin ran over and picked up the directions. "What are these markings?"

"Kanji from my time. You can read now right?" Kagome came over and knelt down taking the instructions.

"Yes. I can read and write very well now. I write my own letters to Sesshomaru-sama and Kohaku," the little girl spoke proudly.

"Do you want to learn these symbols too?" Kagome asked her.

"I'm a quick study. I can do it," Rin's grin reached both her ears. "You tell me what to do."

By the time evening came a few hours later, they had made little to no progress. Kagome was too tired and her stomach too big. Sango was now huddled next to them, her children sleeping on mats on Kagome's floor. The twins were curled around each other while her son slept on her back. "I don't understand what we are doing wrong."

"Maybe the screws are too long," Rin held up one of the pieces of wood where the screw had gone in diagonally. "He's here!" She dropped the piece of the crib and ran from the hut. "Sesshomaru-sama come in! We're building a crib. Sorry I wasn't on the hill. I'm guarding Kagome-sama."

"You a guard, that's hysterical," Jaken laughed trailing behind the girl and Sesshomaru.

Rin just stuck her tongue out at Jaken and returned to her place by the women who were kneeling by the crib. "Quiet Jaken-sama, there are sleeping children. Inuyasha-sama went to slay demons Sesshomaru-sama. He asked me to ask if you would guard Kagome-sama for him?"

Sesshomaru gazed down with a stoic face at the little girl detecting the slight fib that had just crossed her lips. He raised an eyebrow at her, "hmm?"

"So he felt more comfortable knowing you would be here for a day. She's having a baby soon. We don't know when. After he said if he wasn't back, for her to go back to her time," Rin paused, "Sango-san. What kind of demon was it? Miroku-sama doesn't usually need Inuyasha-sama these days."

"Snake demons," Sango hissed. "They've been making their way out of the mountains from the East. They've already destroyed three villages."

"Snake?" Sesshomaru turned to face them. "When did he leave?"

"A few hours ago," Rin told them.

He said nothing. He strode quickly from the hut, then flashed into a ball of light.

"That bad," Sango shook her head. "It should be all of us."

"Some of us are mothers now," Kagome pointed her head at the sleeping children. "Ow," Kagome whined holding her stomach. "How did you know Sango?"

"When it didn't let up with the twins. I had so many false starts it was ridiculous," Sango sighed patting her own stomach. "I still remember Kenshin's birth. It was so quick. Rin and Kaede-sama almost didn't get there in time."

"Jaken-sama can you help us build this please?" She picked up the directions and gave them to him. "There's pictures if you can't understand the writing."

"Such insolence, of course I can understand the writing!" He squawked at her. "What kind of writing is this?"

"It's okay Jaken," Kagome rose off the ground again, feeling like her knees were going to break from the weight of her middle. "I'm going to go back to my time. Inuyasha is going to freak out when Sesshomaru shows up."

"How will he know?" Rin asked.

"Oh he'll know, he won't be able to sense me anymore," she plodded out of the hut. By the time she reached the well and climbed over the top she felt it calling to her holy power. It surfaced inside of her bubbling like a spring. "I'm getting too tired for this." She sighed leaping down into the darkness.

Kagome landed on her side of the Well only seconds after jumping in. Her heart was pounding. She could smell smoke and fumes. All she saw above her was orange. The ground was quaking beneath her. _Oh shit,_ she gasped, _take me back! Take me back now!_ She touched the sides of the well calling on her holy energy. The ground gave out beneath her. She grabbed onto the ladder that was bolted into the wall of the Well. "Momma!" She called, "Jichan! Sota!" She coughed from the smoke and fumes of burning wood. _I have to get out of the well._ She tried again to force the well back open. _What's wrong, why aren't you opening. Not again, please!_ She grasped the ladder, with shaky unsure and timid steps she hauled herself up the rungs. Another large sway of earth broke one of the steps on the ladder. At the same time she felt her stomach tighten again. "Ow, please not now," tears streamed down her face. She coughed again, choking on the smoke. "Sota!" She called for her brother, "momma!" She made it to the top of the Well in time to see the rafters crack from the flames that burned them. "Oh no," her eyes dilated. She sloppily fell over the side of the Well intent on running. Her feet gave way as the earth moved like it was slick jelly. She landed hard on her side just as the rafter broke and came crashing down on her body. "Sota!" She screamed as the world went dark.

Sota thought he was dreaming. His mother and grandfather were out when the earthquake started. He knew the drill, either get under something that could take the hit if the roof caved in or run out of the house. He opted for the latter. He fled his room, down the stairs as the tremors got stronger. He ran out into the courtyard in time to see a power cord break and fall on top of the shed that housed the well. "Ni-chan!" He yelled worried that they would be cut off from each other. Another sharp tremor, his legs gave out. He fell cutting a gash deeply into his cheek. That's when he heard someone calling his name. "Oh please, Ni-chan, you didn't come back now." He screamed in fear when the roof caved in. Smoke billowed from the roof. Flames licked the sky. "No!" He forced himself up. He fought the shaking ground to get to the burning shack.

He heard coughing from within the shack and cries of pain. He ran inside, climbing over debris and broken pieces of wood. He found his sister only a foot from the Well. "Help me Sota, ahhhhhh! The baby is coming, it hurts, please!" She cried in pain. Kagome had never felt anything like the squeezing and burning running through her stomach and radiating between her legs. "Sota!"

"I'm here Ni-chan," he gaped staring at the large piece of wood that had wedged his sister against the ground. The air around them was hot and burning. Kagome had managed to tie a cloth around her nose and mouth. He squatted attempting to lift the large beam off his sister's legs. "Are your legs broken?"

"They hurt, oh god another one is coming, ahhhh! Sota!" She had been with enough women to know that sometimes you just needed to scream through the contractions. With orange and red flames licking around her body and her lungs choking, she thought screaming was the best option. When the pain stopped she stared at her terrified brother, "call an ambulance."

He nodded, afraid to leave his sister.

"If you don't I'll die. You can't lift that off me," she tried to laugh. "Go Sota. My cell phone was in my room. Maybe the towers are still up."

Sota nodded again leaving the room. He ran back into the house, up the stairs and into her room. He rifled through her drawers. He stopped first trying the home phone, it was already dead, from the downed pole. He cursed then flipped her phone open. _Please work, please work._ He called the emergency number. "Help my sister is in labor and the beams of our house crashed on top of her. We live at Higurashi shrine," he told the operator.

"I'm sorry, the roads are blocked. Emergency workers will get there as soon as they can. Can you move her?" Sota ran back through the flames and the burning wood to find his sister. Her head was lolling. She was groaning in pain. Sota hung the phone up. "Ni-chan tell me what to do?" Tears poured down from his eyes.

"Save the baby," she whispered weakly. "I can't breathe Sota."

"What about you, please, can't your power get this off?"

"If…it…was…a….demon…demon….demon…demon!" She suddenly became more alert, "call Sesshomaru. Open my phonebook. Call Sesshomaru!"

"Who is that?"

"Ahhhhh!" Her screams of pain filled the hut. "My water brroooooke!" She cried as a huge splash wet her legs and knees.

"Sesshomaru, okay," he opened the phone. "Please call…please!" He knew it was only a matter of moments before Tokyo lost power.

Sesshomaru rest his back against the Sakura tree. He spent many nights in this place, the place he once called home. He had an early morning procedure and was on call which meant that he couldn't return to his home in the sky. Natsuki sat next to him leaning against his shoulder, reading a book quietly. "You know I don't like it when you come here."

"When you are on call, you forget that you have obligations," she hissed at him. "I'm lonely," she said more seductively unbuttoning his top collar.

He growled wrapping an arm around her and batting the hand off his shirt, "do not expect more than a pillow of me right now."

"You're impossible," she poked his side and kissed his neck. "At least you gave me a good book to read."

"You can't read if your mouth is continuously moving," he nudged her chin affectionately.

His phone began vibrating in his pocket. He knew the number. He picked it up, "what Miko."

"Brother….Sota…quake….stuck!"

He knew Kagome had a brother. He also knew the sounds of a woman in labor. "I can't hear you? Say again."

"Service….earthquake…water broke," more garbled words flowed through to his phone.

"Dammit. Natsuki get Tsukimaru, follow me," he pulled her to him and kissed her lips. "I will owe you more than three nights at home if you move at all haste and do not ask me questions and do as I say. You and Tsukimaru now," he disappeared into an orb of light.

Sota ran back inside the house. They had a stash of bottled water in their supply closet. He opened it, took a clean rag, wetted it with water and then carried the bottle and the rag back to Kagome. "Sota it hurts, please!" She cried trying fruitlessly to move.

"I called him. The cellphone towers must be down. I can't get a signal again," he put the new towel over her mouth to keep the smoke out. He coughed, his lungs felt like they were burning and near collapsing.

"You need to see how far along I am," Kagome instructed him, "get a knife or some scissors, cut my pants off. I can't move my arms Sota. I'm so tired," she didn't know how long they had been stuck in there.

"Miko!" Came a tenor from outside.

"It's him," Kagome's head began to loll.

"Over here!" Sota yelled dodging more falling wood from the caved in roof. "Over here!"

"Miko!" The voice called again.

Sota's eyes widened. He had heard stories about a Sesshomaru from Inuyasha but never dreamed he would see the yokai in real life. Even surrounded by flames he looked regal. His hair was tied back in a braid. He had removed his dress shirt opting for a white tank-top and slacks instead. His mokomoko was wrapped around his arm. He shoved passed broke boards, and glided over missing pieces of flooring. He surveyed the damage. "I can get this off her. Can you move her quickly?" Sesshomaru squatted grasping the wood, "as soon as I move it, you have to move her."

"Ow…Sesshomaru?" Kagome screamed.

The dog demon knelt down holding her hand, "breath with me," he put her hand on his chest and took deep deliberate breaths. The other hand checked her pulse. "Her pulse is tachycardic. It's too fast. Her water has broken," he cut a line down the front of her pants with his claws. "Can you move your sister?"

"I can try," Sota said confidently coughing to the point he nearly passed out.

Sesshomaru rose onto his haunches and made to lift the beam covering her legs. As soon as it moved an eerie creak filled the air. "Dammit, if I move this, the entire shack will fall on our heads before you can get her out. Get out now, you have smoke inhalation. I'll treat you when I get her out."

Sota nodded and ran from the burning hut.

"Dear one!" A feminine voice came from outside.

"Chichiue!" Another called.

"Over here! Tsukimaru, Natsuki come quickly," he knelt back down. "Keep breathing Miko, some air is better than none." He leaned over her mouth listening to her breaths. "Your need oxygen. This is going to get messy."

Tsukimaru knelt down next to his father. "This human is familiar."

"What should I do?" Natsuki asked.

"Tsukimaru, I need you to lift this beam off of her. Natsuki as soon as he does, get her into the courtyard," he slid two fingers up her thighs, "forgive me Miko," he felt her cervix. "Nine centimeters. Eighty percent effaced. She's very close. Her water has completely broken." He removed his hand.

"What are you going to do?" Natsuki's white hair blew in the fire filled shack.

His eyes widened turning red. "Stop the rest of the shack from falling on you," his face broke into a smile. He bounded into the air, the marks on his cheek combined into a V. He landed as a giant white dog crouching beneath the flames. _Now son,_ he nudged Tsukimaru with his nose.

The younger white haired dog-demon pulled the beam off the Miko's legs. The second he did the shack started crumbling. Sesshomaru braced his back against the siege of falling debris protecting the rest beneath his towering body. Natsuki cradled Kagome in her arms. In the moment the beam came off her legs Kagome let out a bear sized yowl that turned low and pathetic. _She's pushing,_ Sesshomaru told Natsuki and Tsukimaru, although he was sure that Tsukimaru would know the sound. _Wait until it stops, then move her._ He braced his body over the crashing wood. Larger pieces of wood slammed into his fur. Fire lit up part of his back. He bat it off with his tail.

"Ni-chan," Sota coughed covering his mouth. "What's wrong with her?"

"She breathed in too much smoke and the baby is coming," Tsukimaru answered him. "We need a safe place for her to have the baby."

"A hospital?" Sota wiped the tears from ashen face.

"She won't make it," Natsuki lifted her. "Now get out of here." She pushed Sota on the shoulders.

Tsukimaru grabbed the boy around the waist and flew him out of the falling debris. Sesshomaru snarled as he put out the fire by stamping on the burning pieces of wood. He slapped the flames down with his paws and smacked them with his tail. _Tsukimaru, assist me,_ he called his son.

Tsukimaru bounded into the sky like his father and appeared as a smaller almost perfect copy of Sesshomaru. His ruff was shorter. He went up to his father's shoulders. Together they blew out and smashed the remaining flames. Until all that was left the Well and blackened wood.

"What do I do? Ni-chan?" Sota held his sister's hand.

"I can't move my legs," Kagome said weakly. Her legs were bloody and twisted.

Sesshomaru's large form came over. He nodded to his son again as they both began licking the wounds on her legs.

"It hurts!" She called out as another wave took her forcing her to bare down and the baby to descend lower.

"What are they doing?" Sota stared in shock at the two dog-demons lapping at Kagome's broke legs.

"Numbing her pain. Sesshomaru can explain it better, but our saliva when mixed with open human injuries infiltrates the surrounding tissues forcing them to behave like our cells. It will help her heal faster with less scarring," Natsuki glared at Kagome.

"It's okay Miko. Sota yes?" Sesshomaru was in human form again, standing behind them. "Go to your home, we need towels and blankets."

"Sesshomaru you should let humans deal with this," Natsuki paced back and forth. "If the humans see us."

"Natsuki focus on her belly. What do you sense? The child is in danger and he is not entirely human. You don't recognize her because you haven't seen her in centuries and she was not this young when you met. This is my brother's…" he groaned, he hated human appellations but these two did refer to each other by them, "wife. If she dies now, you die five hundred years ago when the disease came. Do not forget what she did to save your life."

"Kagome?" Natsuki fell to her knees, "I do see it now."

"The Miko that saved Hahaue?" Tsukimaru also leaned down peering closer at the moaning mortal.

"Tsuki," Natsuki said to her son, "we're going to need the medical room in our home prepared. The boy's lungs sound ill. She is badly injured. Will you use your blood to heal her or take her to a human hospital."

"Your blood," Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Natsuki. "I cannot leave a trace of myself behind that my brother will find."

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome grabbed his wrist, "help me…it hurts."

"It will be over soon. Tsukimaru, return home, prepare the room. Bring your brothers and sister."

"You do know your children hate me," Tsukimaru rose proudly matching his father's stance.

"Tell them their Obasan needs them," he held Kagome's hand. "Just breathe. Natsuki help me move her legs," Sesshomaru maneuvered behind Kagome and lifted her back. He let her slump against his chest, while holding her around the waist.

Tsukimaru disappeared into the skies.

Sota came back out with towels and blankets. His face was pale. His skin covered in ash. He dropped them next to his crying sister. "Why does she sound like that?"

Kagome's roars filled the air.

"She's pushing," Sesshomaru held her up while Natsuki pushed Kagome's broken legs to the side.

Kagome cried at the movement of her battered legs.

"She can't keep them open it's too painful," Natsuki told the Dog Lord.

"Sota, get between your sister's legs. Pull her pants off. You'll have to catch the baby. Natsuki cut the sides down to the ankles so they are easier to remove," he braced Kagome against his chest. "Breath Miko. We'll save you and the baby. I have Tenseiga in my home. You will both be fine no matter what happens."

"I want Inuyasha!" She cried out again, gripping Sesshomaru's arms around her waist. "I want Inuyasha!"

Sesshomaru's eyes tracked to goshinboku momentarily, "he's here."

"No he's not. He's slaying snake demons you ass!" Kagome shrieked, "it burns, it burns!"

"The pants Sota, now," Sesshomaru intoned more firmly.

The child's eyes were like globes. "I can't deliver babies, I'm only twelve!" He protested.

"My human ward turned lover delivered her first babies just before she turned nine in the Edo era without modern medicine. If she can do it, so can you," Sesshomaru wrapped his Mokomoko over Kagome's waist. "Grip this. You aren't hurting me."

"Okay," Sota removed the pants just as his sister's back arched into the next contraction. She screamed a blood curdling cry Sota was not used to hearing come from her. "I see the head," Sota said proudly. "White hair with cat ears like Inu-no-ni-chan!" He said proudly. "It's okay Kagome."

"Now listen to me, Sota right?" Sesshomaru's words were clipped. Two fingers touched Kagome's neck, "she can't take much more of this. Place your hand like this," he held it up fingers extended, thumb out, "and support her perineum. That's the bottom part, so she doesn't tear."

"Okay," Sota panted trying to catch his breath, "I'm dizzy."

"Natsuki keep her legs parted. She's losing consciousness," he kept his fingers on her pulse and his ear trained against her lips to keep track of her breathing. "If you pass out child I will kill you."

"Okay," he said obediently.

"Ow…help, please, my legs," Kagome whined. Her back arched against her will, her mouth opened in another primal howl, filling the insanity of the night with her cries.

"Human women are so noisy," Natsuki complained.

"Their bodies act of their own accord. Rin once said it felt like something else took over while she was pushing," truthfully holding Kagome reminded him of what it felt like to hold Rin while she birthed their sons. "Keep your hand on her perineum," he reminded Sota. "Breathe," he shook Kagome to wake her. "How much blood to do you see?"

"I don't know," Sota said.

"Is it oozing? Gushing?"

"Oozing?" The boy answered.

"How much of the head is out," Sesshomaru couldn't quite see from his vantage point.

"The whole head is out," the boy said, "why is there a moon on his forehead?"

"Chichiue," Sesshomaru smiled speaking out loud, "are you here helping your grandchild be born?"

"He's not a hanyou is he?" Natsuki asked.

"He?" Sota's lips trembled.

"You can't sense it?" Natsuki wondered in awe. "For this you loved a human? They are so powerless."

"And yet they saved your life when you were ill. Shut up Natsuki and help me. Bring her legs higher. She will deliver the shoulders next. Sota is the head turning?"

Kagome rest limply in Sesshomaru's arms.

"Miko wake up," he gave her a good shake, "what color is the face boy?"

"Um blue…and I see something on the neck," Sota felt a white spongy something around the baby's neck.

"It's the cord. Take it off. Reach inside her vagina carefully and slide it off the baby's face. If it's too short she may not be able to deliver the child safely," he stroked Kagome's hair.

"I can't get it loose," Sota said. "It won't come off. It's too tight."

"Kagome wake up," Sesshomaru shook her harshly. Her eyes fluttered, "you must push."

"I don't feel it," Kagome said pathetically.

"Natsuki cut the cord on my count," he lifted his watch. "Once it's cut, she has two minutes to push the baby out. Miko wake up. Your baby needs you," he shook her so hard it reverberated down to her broken legs. She shrieked from the shock of the pain, "Natsuki cut. Miko push," he shoved her back up. "Sota when you see the shoulders. Pull very lightly on them. Do not twist or bend them."

The baby began rotating, "it's moving," Sota said excitedly until another coughing spasm hit him. He grabbed his head.

"Do not sleep!" Sesshomaru's voice boomed, "hit him Natsuki."

She slapped the boy in the back of the head rolling her golden eyes, "stay awake. Your sister needs you."

Kagome screamed one last howl just as Sota pulled lightly on the baby's shoulder. The body came out in a rush of fluid and blood. "He's floppy," Sota held the small boy child.

Sesshomaru set Kagome down, "Natsuki massage her stomach firmly, in round circles," he move down between Kagome's spread legs taking the baby. "Who knew that this was how we met?" He nuzzled the infant's nose. He sucked the mouth and nose out with his own, spitting the fluids onto the ground. He covered the baby's mouth and nose with his own mouth and puffed two short breaths waited several seconds and then did it again.

"Sesshomaru," Natsuki touched his shoulder to get is attention, "there is a lot of blood here."

"Cut your wrist, poor it over the legs then put your hand inside and let your blood flow in her womb," he puffed air into his tiny nephew again. "I know you live little one. Show me if it is by my hand or Tenseiga's." He blew again. Finally the baby let out a squeal. He passed the baby to Sota, "this one is yours. Hold him close to you. Wrap him in the towels." _So this is why she named him for her brother._

Sota wavered holding the baby. "Sesshomaru-sama? I feel sick," the boy said.

"Your lungs are poisoned. You will return with me to our home," he stood up. "Get on my back child, give me the baby," it had been a while since his last grandchild was born and rest nestled in his mokomoko. _Sota,_ he chuckled already knowing the name of this baby. He let the older Sota climb onto his back. "Natsuki accompany me, carry the Miko. We take her home."

"Can you save her?" Natsuki hefted the Miko into the air, carrying her as she flew next to Sesshomaru.

"Your blood will care for the majority of the issues. They both need oxygen," he wrapped his mokomoko around his back securing the child Sota to his back.

"Do you think we changed time by doing this?" Natsuki asked him.

"No. I don't remember this child's birth. I remember visiting and he was already a month old, although I did build his crib," Sesshomaru gave his shoulder a nudge, "stay awake Sota."

"I'm so tired," the boy's stomach was roiling. "And sick."

"Do not throw up on me," he forced himself to fly faster. He would regret using this much yoki in one sitting. As soon as they cleared Tokyo his phone began buzzing urgently. He picked it up with his free hand, "Dr. Rinata," he said tersely. "Tell them the procedure is canceled and inform my partner at the office that I have had a family emergency. I will not be back for several days. Yes I will be out of touch. The new shipment of blood? It will come in a week. The donor had a minor setback and needs a week to recover," he hung his phone up.

"How are you a doctor? I thought you hated people," Sota asked. "Inu-no-ni-chan said you try to kill him all the time."

"That I did. For a while at least. It's a long story," Sesshomaru yelled over the wind of his own making.

"Is it a long flight?" The boy wondered.

"He became a doctor after slaving to save the lives of what was left of our kind. Healing became second nature to him," Natsuki flashed Sesshomaru a proud smile.

"Natsuki, you were warned," he said calmly.

"Yes but he can't travel through the well. How will he influence you?"

"True," Sesshomaru admitted as they landed at the stairs of his home. All five of his children stood ready next to the throne that was now his. "Tsukimaru, Harutoga, Yuki, Taiyomaru, take your aunt quickly," he said to his assembled children. "Taka, get a clean change of clothes for her." He checked the infant inside of his mokomoko, "Harutoga this child needs feeding. Bring one of your grand-children to nurse him until his mother wakes," he passed the baby to his eldest son. "Are you still awake back there?"

"Barely," Sota climbed off his back stumbling, "my chest hurts."

"Yuki this is your uncle, take him to the medical room. Give him oxygen," he helped the boy walk to his eldest daughter. "And be nice to your sister."

"Whatever," Yuki shot back hefting Sota by the arm. "This human better keep our secret or I'll kill him myself."

"He's Obasan's brother Yuki," Sesshomaru smiled proudly at his children.

"You did well Tsukimaru," he grasped his son's hand.

"Is this wise Chichiue?" Tsukimaru asked. "What if her lover comes looking for her?"

"He never knew of me in this time," Sesshomaru said confidently. "Your mother used her blood to heal her. She needs oxygen. When she is stable we will take her back to her home. Tsukimaru, return to their house, leave a note to the mother that her children are okay. They are at a friend's house and will return in several days."

"Does she know about you?" Tsukimaru asked.

"We've met but this, she doesn't need to know about," he paced quickly to the medical room to tend to his patient.

Kagome was already covered in a fever. Taiyomaru and Yuki set up the oxygen cans for her and Sota. Kagome's eyes fluttered open. She gripped Sesshomaru's hand, "the baby?"

"A strong son," he sat on the bed next to her. "You did well."

"Sota?" She choked out.

"Asleep on the bed over there," he pointed to the bed next to them. Sota lay in the fetal position with an oxygen mask over his face. "He was very brave. Without him I'm not sure we could have delivered the baby safely. Sleep," he caressed her cheek lovingly.

"Where is the baby?"

"Harutoga is finding a nursemaid for him. You should be grateful I have so many grandchildren. One of them will come here and feed your baby until you recover. You need to sleep."

"Inuyasha?"

"He'll come when he can," he said calmly ignoring the twinge of pain in his heart. "If he doesn't you should only need a few days here to recover. Keep the mask on, sleep. I'll have food brought."

"I want my baby," she said rasping.

"He's okay. Do you have a name for him?"

She looked at her exhausted brother, who had braved the fires of the shack for her to save her life. "Sota," she smiled. "Call him Sota."

Sesshomaru stood up and walked out into the hallway, "Harutoga, bring Sota," he called to his son.

Harutoga grinned knowingly at his father, "this is really my cousin?"

"Strange to meet him like this isn't it?" He took the infant from his son, "can one of your grandchildren come?"

"Mayumi," Harutoga laughed, "the one named for my other cousin. Remember she had a baby a year and a half ago. She's still nursing every two hours like a newborn. I had to search through your rather meticulous records to see which one of my great-grandchildren had given birth recently."

"Take Aun, go get her. The Miko will need a day at least to recover. He will be hungry soon," he bounced the baby lightly. "The last time I saw you little man, was the day I buried you. Sayako misses you," he nuzzled the nose of the baby, "she misses you greatly. She refuses to take another. Not that there are many for her to choose from. Although she and I tried to make up for what was lost. It didn't work. I had hoped one day to ask your forgiveness in the next life for sleeping with her as they call it. Don't worry it was after your death," he walked into the room. "It didn't work. Your grand-children are alive and well," he sat down on the bed next the sleeping Miko. "One of them is in this castle. Would it be strange if he met his infant grandfather?"

"You ramble," Kagome coughed as Sesshomaru set her baby down next to her.

"The bed is large enough he can sleep with you. I will stay until the fever breaks to ensure you don't roll on top of him. He's beautiful Miko."

"How did he get a moon?" She touched the lavender crescent moon on his forehead.

"I believe Chichiue wanted to make sure none would mistake this child for who he is."

"I can take that," Kagome said weakly. "I feel like there is an elephant on my chest."

"It's the smoke, it will take several hours for it to be filtered out," he checked the oxygen level on the tank, then her pulse and counted her rate of respiration. "You're moving in the right direction. Your vitals are stable. Try to sleep."

"That was crazy," she held Sesshomaru's hand. "Thank you for coming. I was so scared."

"You can thank Natsuki and Tsukimaru," he tickled the baby's feet. "Without them, I would not have been able to save you."

"That was her wasn't it? The one you cheated on Rin with," her voice faded into a series of wheezes and coughs. "She doesn't seem so horrible."

"Five hundred years of growth and maturity. She was much younger when she met you," he brushed a stray strand of hair out of Kagome's face. "You shouldn't be talking."

Kagome nodded holding her baby close to her. "Why isn't he here? Did he live this long?"

"Rest Miko," he said again rising off the bed and settling in a large fluffy lazy boy by the windowed wall. Internally he let a larger smile inside of himself than the one on his lips because he knew back at the hut that he had come back to a sleeping Sango and Rin. Jaken was passed out on a pile of wooden pieces to a crib that was still left unbuilt. He and Inuyasha had sat down together and for the first time in their lives since defeating Naraku worked together to build the bed that the tiny baby sleeping next to Kagome would use. It took them most of the night because at the time he couldn't read the symbols on the paper. Inuyasha could read some of them as Kagome had been teaching them, somehow they had set aside their frustrations with each other just to build a bed for the baby. He never said it then, but it warmed his heart knowing that he would be an uncle. He could still hear them calling him, "Ojisama!"

"Ojisama," he said quietly thinking of Sota. "I got to see you one last time."


	10. The Day After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kagome wakes up in Sesshomaru's home and meets, Taka, Sesshomaru and Natsuki's daughter.

Kagome woke groggily to the sound of a new voice in the room with her. She felt a line in her wrist being tugged out and tape placed over a gauze bandage. She opened her eyes to see a young girl, or demoness sitting on the bed next to her. The demoness had pointed ears, long silver hair that went down to her waist and a slim almost adolescent figure. She wore traditional Japanese garb in the form of a pale pink kimono. "Hello, I'm Taka." The young woman spoke. Her cheeks were single striped. Her eyes were magenta around the edges. Her slender fingers ended in pointed tips that Kagome was sure could probably cover her in dokkasu. She felt around for her baby. Not finding him, she bolted upright. "It's okay, he's with Mayumi. He got hungry while you were sleeping. You were asleep for most of the last day. Your filthy," she ran her claws through Kagome's hair.

"Who is Mayumi?" Kagome scooted to the side of the bed pushing herself to stand. Just seeing her hands, she knew what Taka was talking about. She was still covered in ash from the fire.

"One of Harutoga's grandchildren. Well really great, great, great, I'm not sure. He's a hanyou and bonded twice to human lovers, so their children are like your son and their life-span is less than a hanyou and more than a human. In Chichiue's studies I think he said their average life-span when not bonded to a yokai or a hanyou is around a hundred and fifty to two hundred years. So we have a few generations, but they age like humans and then get married. I'm not entirely sure," the timid girl answered. "Are you really a human?" She put her face in front of Kagome and sniffed.

The Miko moved away, "yes, I'm human. Haven't you seen humans before?"

"Not a pure human," the girl answered folding her hands together. "Our family is a mixture. Chichiue's first soulmate was human. They had three children together and well…after several generations they are mostly human at least Harutoga's are. So no. You and your brother are the first. You don't look diseased."

Kagome fell silent, unsure how to answer that question. "Haven't you ever been…where am I?"

"In Chichiue's castle in the sky. It was Soba-sama's before it was his. Soba-sama died when the disease came," Taka sat down on the bed next to Kagome. "They don't let me leave the castle. They're afraid that I will get sick."

Kagome rubbed her eyes. She gazed around the room she was in. There were two full beds. Each were fully equipped with the same items one would find in a hospital. Oxygen lines hung from the ceiling. There was a defibrillator in a glass compartment in the wall. Behind her she saw other items attached to the wall, a cup with a tube, even a code blue button. "How? It looks like a hospital room."

"Chichiue," she said proudly. "We have another room that's for isolation. Sometimes when Chichiue finds out about those with the illness he can't get there in time and they come here for more intense treatment. This is the room where the babies are born and injuries are treated. That's why we brought you here."

"Sesshomaru can deliver babies?"

"Not all our babies look human. The ones that are mostly human can be delivered in human hospitals, but our babies that aren't, well he delivers them here. Sort of, I actually deliver many of them. He taught me and my brothers and sister," the girl prattled on.

"How have they not figured out he isn't aging?" Kagome said more to herself.

"It's a trick," Taka chuckled removing a spiral black photo-book from a row of cabinets. She brought it over to Kagome, "these are pictures of Chichiue with some of Yuki's grand-children. They are in their sixties now. A few of them are dead ringers for Chichiue so he brings them to his office and says they are his children. He says they look like human seven year olds." She flipped the binder over a few pages, "a few years later he says that this is the same child. This is Tsukimaru my brother, then," she flipped to another page, "he impersonated his own father." She cracked herself up. "He went to medical school the first time in the 1950's. He learned basic medicine and specialized in obstetrics and genetics. Sesshomaru Rinata retired from medicine in 1990 and was replaced by his son Sessho. The second time he specialized in Hematology Oncology and general cancer treatment. They don't know that it's his blood and Tsukimaru's that have created the wonder treatment. No one has noticed he hasn't aged in ten years. They think he is a young prodigy," she smiled thumbing her father's chin. "Now he uses a picture of one of Tsukimaru's children and brings him into the office. When the time comes, Tsukimaru will pretend to be his teenage son again and the cycle repeat until I guess one day he moves to another country."

Kagome laughed with Taka. "That is kind of brilliant."

Taka leaned in again and sniffed Kagome, "I smell something else. Something bright and clean almost."

"That is her power to purify," Sesshomaru came into the room wearing a stethoscope. "Taka, did you remove the line?"

"Yes Chichiue," she bowed to her father.

Sesshomaru sat on the bed next to Kagome, "I'm sure you know the routine," he put the stethoscope in his ears listening to her breathe. She breathed compliantly. He heard no wheezing. He switched it to her chest listening to the beat of her heart as he measured her pulse on against the face of his watch. "You're recovering nicely." He put it back around his neck.

"Chichiue you don't look well," Take ran over to her father touching his face. "Did you forget to take your medicine?"

"Not now," he pat his daughter on the head. "Kagome, this is Taka. My youngest daughter. She will take you to the bathhouse. When you are clean, Mayumi will come in and help you learn to nurse baby Sota."

"Sota?" Kagome was instantly aware that her brother was nowhere to be found. "Where is my brother?"

"He woke up early this morning and has been exploring the castle non-stop," Sesshomaru tried not to smile. "I'm sure to a human boy, there are many things he has never seen here before. Including a garden on the top floor and large pools in the basement."

"How did you know Sesshomaru? How to deliver my baby?" Kagome finally rose off the bed. "Why am I not sore? My chest hurts, but I don't feel like I gave birth," she turned a bright shade of red. "You didn't look down there did you?"

"You don't remember me checking you? There was no need to look afterwards. Natsuki used her blood to heal the damage. Your good as new." His right hand began to tremble. He pushed it into his pocket, hoping the two females in the room with him didn't notice. "Taka take her to the…" he grunted and shook his head. "To…" His other hand began shaking.

"Chichiue!" Taka ran to her father just as he collapsed onto the ground shaking in a fit.

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome fell on the floor next to him.

The once proud dog-demon's eyes were blood red. He curled into the fetal position. His body quaked on the pristine red marble floor. He coughed and frothed at the mouth. Blood dripped down the corner of his lips. His body seized violently as his claws tore holes into the floor.

"What's wrong with him?" Kagome yelled.

"Did he transform?" Taka ran to one of the cupboards rifling through the items inside looking for something, Kagome had no idea what.

"Yes. Why?" Kagome tried to hold his head still. It banged against the floor so hard the back of it began to bleed. "Snap out of it!" She yelled at him. "What's wrong with him?"

"He can't," Taka finally found what she was looking for. It was a syringe and a vial. "There isn't enough of this." She put the needle into the vial. She ran into the hallway, "Tsuki! Tsuki! It's Chichiue!"

"Can your power hold him down?" Taka held the needle in a shaking hand, "I have to put this in one of his veins."

"What's going on?" Kagome asked terrified. "Is he having a seizure?"

"You could call it that," the younger male dog demon dashed into the room, he threw himself on top of his father attempting to restrain him. "This," he struggled against his father's arm. One knee pressed Sesshomaru's chest own, the other attempted to force the wrist back revealing the curve of Sesshomaru's elbow. "This is the only problem when your father is strongest demon of the age. I can't get it open. Taka, get Harutoga, Yuki and Taiyomaru," he grabbed the vial from his sister. "And two blood donation kits. This isn't enough."

Sesshomaru's shaking continued nearly rattling the foundation of the home. Kagome could hear Taka yelling down the halls. A black haired dog demon came flying into the room. He landed on Sesshomaru's flopping middle forcing his torso down, "give me space Tsukimaru."

"Katsumoto," white haired Tsukimaru moved out of the way using one knee against his father's shoulder, the next against his wrist.

The three hanyou children came back in with Taka. "Not another one," Yuki, the white haired daughter with cat-ears on her head landed on top of Sesshomaru's other arm. The other two sat down on his legs. "It takes all five of us to hold him down. Taka, get along with it already."

Taka took the syringe from Tsukimaru. Sesshomaru struggled against Tsukimaru's grip. She knelt down tying a rubber ribbon around Sesshomaru's arm, "it's not enough."

"It will be enough to calm it," Tsukimaru encouraged her.

"Now Taka!" Yuki yelled at her. "Hang on Chichiue."

Taka nodded, rolling her father's sleeve up. She found a larger vein in his wrist to bury the needle into. Sesshomaru snarled lowly his head falling backwards. His body continued to seize on the ground. Not nearly as violently as before. "Yuki get my mother," Tsukimaru rose off his father's arm. "Katsumoto keep him down."

"What's going on?" Kagome asked as Taka ran out of the room. It would be comical if she wasn't terrified seeing the dignified dog demon covered in sweat, and being held down by four yokai.

"He was sick for too long," a black haired demon said. "I'm Taiyomaru. I suppose you'll meet me in a few years. I'm Rin's youngest son."

"You don't look like a hanyou though," Kagome stared confused at the pointed ears on the sides of his head. The markings that matched his father's, yet his aura felt like a hanyou.

"What can I say, I'm a conundrum," he shoved his father's leg back down. "Where were you last night Tsukimaru? We were supposed to leave another donation."

"That one," he motioned with his head at Kagome, "decided to come through the well during an earthquake and have a baby."

"I did not!" Kagome argued.

"Obasan," Harutoga laughed still struggling with Sesshomaru's seizing legs, "you always were a funny one."

"Obasan?" Kagome rubbed her head then sat down on the bed again.

"We're all his children," Harutoga said. "Except for Katsumoto. He's Yuki's lover," Harutoga pointed to the dog demon sitting on Sesshomaru's chest. "Which makes you our aunt. Of course you weren't this young when I remember meeting you. I believe you delivered me," the striped haired hanyou laughed.

"And me," Yuki came back in with an older looking female dog demon behind her.

"And me," Taiyomaru laughed mirthfully. "He loved her so much." His body bounced up and down against his father's legs.

"Dammit, Sesshomaru," Natsuki strode in quickly landing on her knees in front of Sesshomaru's head. She bent over him and lowered her forehead against his. She cradled his head in between her hands.

Kagome felt a rise in yoki that confused her. "What is she doing?" She stepped forward observing the female. The hair on Kagome's hands stood on end.

Sesshomaru's seizing slowed to just low moans. His eyes closed, blood dripped from the side of his mouth. Slowly, those holding Sesshomaru rose off of him. "Taka, get the blood transfusion kits," Harutoga picked his father up and put him in the bed that Sota had been in. Natsuki's forehead never left Sesshomaru's as they moved. She slid onto the bed where his head rest on a white pillow massaging his temples.

Another dark haired woman came into the room with the infant Sota. She smiled revealing fangs and handed the baby to Kagome. "He's hungry. I fed him while you slept. Come sit down, I'll help you."

"Who?" Kagome scooted back on her own bed observing what was happening with Sesshomaru.

"Don't worry about Sofu-sama. They've been doing this for years," Mayumi was not nearly as slender as the demons in the room. Her stomach was thicker, her face plump. She had black hair and golden eyes. "Pull your shirt up. Don't worry they won't watch. They're too busy with him."

Kagome learned in quick order how to nurse her son. He struggled against her at first, then settled. She still felt fatigued. Her eyes were constantly on the other bed. At some point her brother Sota found his way back to the room with a tray of food for her. "This place is huge!" He said. He smelled like fresh soap. His skin was clean and the ash cleared away. He still wore his hair in a goofy bowl like cut. "I brought you something to eat Ni-chan. What happened to Sesshomaru-sama?" The boy noticed the limp dog-demon in his bed.

"I don't know," Kagome stood up holding her baby. For several hours, two of his sons had sat in chairs on either side of Sesshomaru. Their sister, the one called Taka and the other one Yuki, had put IV's in each son that led to either side of Sesshomaru's exposed forearms. The shaking finally stopped. When it did, Natsuki had sat in bed next to him stroking his brow for another hour before she was called away. The two men left, and eventually Kagome was alone in the room with Sesshomaru as he slept.

"Can I hold him?" Sota asked about the baby. "You really named him after me?"

"You helped save him," Kagome grinned. "Inuyasha is going to be so worried. I don't know if he came through the Well yet. Sota do you feel well enough to go home? You have to keep him from looking for me. He's going to freak out if he can't get through the well. He can't know Sesshomaru is here. It's a secret."

"I won't tell," Sota resolved firmly. "I'll ask around to see if I can get home. He's in charge though," he pointed at Sesshomaru.

"Yes but he's not awake. Go find Natsuki or one of their children," Kagome gave her brother a big hug.

Sota played with baby Sota's fingers. "He's so cute," he kissed his nephew. He stayed long enough to hold his new nephew before leaving to find someone to help him get home.

Kagome lay down in the bed on her side nursing the baby. As the sun shone brightly through the medical room, she finally heard stirring from the bed. Sesshomaru rubbed his temples and coughed. More blood came from his mouth that he wiped with the sheet of the bed. He turned over jolting at the sight of Kagome with her breast exposed. She flushed and covered herself with a bed sheet.

"You saw all that?" His voice was weak.

She nodded.

His palms dug into the bed forcing his torso up. He scooted backwards until his back pressed against the headboard. "Hazards of being sick for so long."

"Are you still sick?" She asked him.

"No," he folded his arms glaring at his disheveled clothing. "You did not bathe yet. You still have soot on your nose."

"I think Taka was going to help me, then you collapsed," Kagome tried to smile but was entirely too concerned about him. "What's going on Sesshomaru?"

"If only I knew. Medicine has not advanced enough to explain my condition, nor are there enough yokai doctors for me to consult with," he closed his eyes. "I'll give you your privacy soon," he set his hand over his heart. "She's coming."

Kagome felt another small rise in yoki emanating from him.

"You aren't going to explain it are you?" She asked him taking the baby from her breast. She pulled her shirt down and removed the sheet she had used to cover herself. "Tsukimaru said you were sick for too long?"

He closed his golden eyes and exhaled. "I lied to Rin. She thought I was sick for only two years, which was already many months too long. I started exhibiting the signs of illness years before that. It wasn't noticeable to others until the eighth year. Others who survived have died from these tremors."

"You're dying?" Kagome felt sick to her stomach.

"Each seizure brings me one step closer. Perhaps in the years to come medicine will advance enough that I will find out what happened. I began having them shortly after the disease ended. Most of the time, it happens after I transform and overuse my yoki."

"You knew? You did all that for me knowing what it would do to you?"

He nodded.

"You also forgot your treatment you stubborn dog," Natsuki came in with two needles in her hands. "How many did you miss?"

Sesshomaru held up two guilty fingers. "Last night and this morning."

"You bastard," Natsuki said with hands on her hips. "Are you so desperate to leave me?"

He shrugged in reply.

"Do you need help coming to bed?" The female asked.

Kagome felt tears forming in her eyes. "Isn't there anyway to save you?"

"I'm old Kagome. I've lived a very long life," he rolled his loose sleeve back up for Natsuki.

She pushed the syringes into his skin. "These are just a stop-gap. Something to keep him going. You shouldn't have pushed yourself. And you owe me four days at home. Although like this I won't get that much enjoyment from you."

He cupped her chin and kissed her, "Natsuki I will lay in bed and you may do to me what you want."

"You two are gross," Kagome averted her eyes. "Sesshomaru is there anything I can do?"

"Your powers of purification cannot help Miko. Do not worry about me. Perhaps one day in the future, something will change," he moved himself to the edge of the bed leaning heavily on Natsuki. His legs nearly buckled the moment they touched the floor. She braced him taking his weight.

"Do you have tremors?" Kagome asked Natsuki.

She bit her bottom look, glanced at Sesshomaru who shook his head. "Rest Miko. I'll send Taka back in to take you to shower and change."

"He's going to come for me Sesshomaru," Kagome said.

"I need to monitor you for another few hours. Then Katsumoto will return you to your home. He can fly much faster than I can," he limped out the door leaning on Natsuki.

"I already sent the boy child home," Natsuki said bracing his weight. "Katsumoto will return him."

"Make sure he receives an injection when he returns," the voices faded as the two left the room.

"Wait!" Kagome ran out of the room. She clenched back the salt taste in her mouth as the once proud Sesshomaru leaned on his mate. "How long? How long do you have?"

He shook his head.

"We don't know," Natsuki answered for him.

"You said there were others? How long did they have?" Kagome tried to steady her voice.

"No more Natsuki," Sesshomaru cautioned her. "Let it go Miko. I'm over fourteen hundred years old. Who knows, perhaps she's waiting for me."

"If she is I'll kill her just to spite you, now start moving. Don't expect me to carry you the whole way. Kagome, go lay down before I find someone to strap you to the bed!" Natsuki screamed exasperated. "You are an insolent, awful, asinine-"

"I stopped listening two words ago," Sesshomaru chuckled.

Kagome wiped a tear from her eyes. _What the hell happened?_ She tried in vain to hide her tears. She was barely friends with the Sesshomaru of the past. He was still cold and unfeeling. This one was different. Kagome couldn't believe the state of mourning she was thrown into knowing that he was dying. She bit her bottom lip trying to stop her tears. She hadn't noticed before that this Sesshomaru was slighter, as if he had lost weight from the disease that had devoured his body. His eyes weren't nearly as dark and the fur of his mokomoko not nearly as rich. She hadn't noticed before how the bones in his wrists protruded from his skin, or the way his clothing hung awkwardly against an all too slender frame. In that moment she told herself, she would find a way to save him. She didn't know how. She only knew herbs and even that she was still learning. _Jinenji,_ she told herself. _Jinenji would know. Wouldn't he?_


	11. The Snake Demons

"Look out Miroku!" Inuyasha ran for his friend. He grabbed him around the waist and threw him to the forest floor. He ducked over the Monk taking the brunt of fangs that dripped venom. They grazed across the robe of the fire-rat tearing the fabric, but missing his skin. "Get out of here."

"There are too many for you alone," Miroku wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. He was already out of breath.

Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga into the air, "meido zangetzha!" He bellowed into the clearing. There were seven snake demons left of varying forms. Some were in human form, some could speak and attacked slithering on their bellies, their bodies glinting scales in the dimming evening light.

The black starlit balls flew into the rush of demons, sucking two into the afterlife. Two more slithering on their bellies rushed at Miroku and Inuyasha. Inuyasha leapt into the air, the sole of his foot just missing a snapping snake. "Dammit," he cursed throwing Miroku out of the way.

The Monk lifted his Khakkhara into the air and slapped an advancing humanoid demon in the head. The demon laughed, "is that all you can do?" He scoffed. He clasped the khakkhara in one hand lifted the Monk off the green covered grass of the clearing with the other. His fangs protruded from his half scaled face zeroing in on Miroku's neck.

Inuyasha yelled, "Miroku!" But he couldn't get to him. He was surrounded by three slithering ones and four humanoids with pointed ears and forked tongues. Kaze no Kizu had already failed against the humanoid ones. They were too close for Meido blades. His heart raced. The demon holding Miroku was about to bite his neck in order to inject his poison.

A whoosh of an even darker aura and furious, "hm!" Filled the evening air. Sesshomaru slammed Bakusaiga into the stomach of the demon holding Miroku. He held one hand of the demon in a vice-like grip, "try to escape," he encouraged the snake demon, then threw its body to waste on the ground. "Bakusaiga!" He yelled, sending green energy that lit up the field like lightning in Inuyasha's direction.

"Shit!" Inuyasha raised his sheathe, ducking to the ground and praying that it would protect him. The attacked floated over the barrier and smoldered into the snake demons obliterating the ones that crawled on their bellies and only injuring the ones that stood. One had its arm torn off, one lost a leg, the other two sported burns. "You would show up," Inuyasha said with a smirk. He stood back to back with his brother, both with swords at the ready in firm hands.

"Pity that sheathe blocks even Bakusaiga's blast," Sesshomaru let loose on two snake demons. He jabbed and stabbed at them. The first fell easily, the second lasted a minute before Bakusaiga was buried into its heart up to the pearled hilt.

Inuyasha faired just as well. "Sankan tesou!" He warded off the first one then spun on his heels on the second one. Tetsusaiga came down into the neck of the snake demon, then slashed into the belly of the last one, spilling a gaseous poison. Inuyasha covered his mouth and leapt backwards to get away from it.

"Pathetic," Sesshomaru chortled stamping the poison out with his foot. It didn't even burn his shoes. "Are you alive Houshi?"

"For now," Miroku stepped over the dead bodies, placing sutras on them that disintegrated their bodies. "I hope this was the last of them," Miroku leapt onto Kirara's back with Inuyasha back to the village.

It took most of the night for them to fly. They arrived while the moon had more than halfway completed its journey. Inuyasha glimpsed quickly over his shoulder to see that Sesshomaru was still following. He strode into his hut and smiled, "Rin's asleep, so is Sango and your children." He pointed at the lumps in the middle of his floor.

Miroku grinned, finding a place behind Sango while yawning. He gave his children a kiss on their heads and dozed off.

Sesshomaru was drawn to strange writing sitting on top of a pile of wood and metals he had never seen before. "What is this?"

"A crib," Inuyasha whispered sitting next to him.

"What are these?" He pointed to the letters on the page.

"Kanji," Inuyasha replied gloating that for once there was something he knew and his brother didn't. "Thanks for the help back there."

"I didn't help you. They would have invaded this village," he countered turning the page upside down.

"You read it this way," Inuyasha flipped the white paper. "It's from a store called IKEA…"

"What is Kanji?" Sesshomaru asked. "Crib? She won't sleep with the child?"

"Apparently this is what mother's use in her time. Did your mother sleep with you?" Inuyasha had fond memories of sharing a futon with his mother. They had a large one in a great wooden room where he snuggled into her lap at night and fell asleep while she sang songs about his father, the great demon who guarded and protected the West.

"Don't be foolish," he put the paper down and picked up some of the wood, "how does a child sleep in this?"

"It's not put together. I should do it before she comes back," Inuyasha began picking out screws, bolts and a hexagon steel. "This says this piece and this piece go together."

"Then do it," Sesshomaru folded his arms in his sleeves.

"What? Afraid that you can't do it, because you can't read Kanji?" Inuyasha taunted his brother.

Sesshomaru snarled snatching the paper, "this Sesshomaru will assist." Together they worked through putting in screws, taking it apart, putting it back together, missing screws, taking it apart again until the brown crib was finally finished and stationed in the back of the hut. Inuyasha rubbed his lower back and yawned. "I wonder if I should go get her."

"When is the child coming?" Sesshomaru asked him.

"Another month," Inuyasha motioned his brother to the table. He pulled out a sealed bag of raw-meat he had caught earlier in the day and put out two bowls. Blood dripped from his fingers as he served his brother. "Did you ever have children?"

"No. She is in her time?"

"I told her to go back when you left. Her Ka-san likes taking her shopping. They go all over the place and then she brings loads and loads of things back here. We have a whole chest of toys already," Inuyasha's fingers found the skin over his heart. "I can't feel her while she is over there, unless I am there too."

Sesshomaru snorted. "The bond is not uncomfortable?"

"No, it's kind of nice. I can sense where she is and what she's feeling. It makes some parts of married life easier."

"Marriage," Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. "You are not human."

"And I'm not fully demon either. What do you call it?"

"There are no words that define what it means to find the one that matches you," he said arrogantly. "Does she call you her husband?"

Inuyasha nodded not sure where the conversation was going.

"You might as well be her lap dog," he dipped his finger into the bowl and ate the tender meat. "How is she?"

Inuyasha was used to hearing that. He asked after Rin often. The younger brother wondered if he did it to assuage his guilt, or if by not using her name it meant that he really didn't care. "She's doing good now. You've met her best friend Satsu. They do everything together. Go to births together, do their hair together, drive me and Kagome crazy, usually together."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed in on the large bruise under her eye. He hadn't noticed it before as he rushed to fight off the snake demons. "Who did that to her face?"

"Hideki," Inuyasha held Sesshomaru's wrist to prevent him from standing, "let it alone. She got back at him."

"She is a child," Sesshomaru reminded Inuyasha irritably. "Can you not even protect her from humans?"

"I'm usually in the forest protecting her from something much worse. You should have seen her," he dared to spill the details of their raid against Hideki. They lured him into the darkest part of the forest, then Inuyasha had rustled all the bushes. Rin howled like wolf. Inuyasha snarled and scratched the trees. In the dark no one saw Rin creep through the bushes, trip Hideki with a sweep of her foot then steal back the barrette the damn boy had taken from her friend.

"She cannot defend herself. Why would you put her in danger?" He snarled shaking his brother by the collar.

"She's eleven Sesshomaru!" He slapped the hand off. "Geez…what are you going to do when she gets married?"

"Married?" The elder demon nearly choked on his meat.

"Yeah, you know, a human boy comes to us and asks to marry her?"

"You will notify me, when this human makes himself known," the elder brother threatened.

"Okay…well I'm going to sleep."

"You aren't going to your Miko?"

"No," Inuyasha laughed, "there are no yokai in her time. She's safe there."

"Do you know what happened to us?" Sesshomaru asked him.

"No…I've never seen you. If that is what you are asking," the hanyou's ears twitched as he lay down on his own sleeping mat, pulling a cover over his shoulders.

"What would kill this Sesshomaru?" The elder brother mocked leaning against the wall of the hut and closing his eyes.

Sesshomaru left in the morning as he always did. He scolded Rin for finding herself alone with the boy who always seemed to torment her. Instead of taking the rebuke she threw a rock the opposite direction and ran off without saying good-bye.

Inuyasha resumed his work slaying demons with Miroku. But after several days of Kagome not returning, nervousness set in. He assumed she would have come back in a day, maybe two. It was an unwritten rule that she would not stay longer, not only out of fear of the Well failing but also because there was no way for them to communicate. Something she said he, "sucked" at.

By the end of the fourth day after the snake demon attack he came to his senses and decided to go after her. He ran to the Well, hopped over the side and disappeared into a vortex of energy that he felt pull on his bond to her and his yoki. The first scent that hit his senses was ash. His feet were blackened by the soot mixed into the mud. "Kagome!" He screamed in fear. Above was just sky and large beams from the broken shack that contained the well. It had obviously been burned and damaged. Her blood wafted into his nose, then her scent coming from her house. "Kagome!" He yelled again, leaping high into the air and landing by her window. He forced it open, feet landing next to her bed. The air was cold.

"Inuyasha?" She rolled over half asleep. Her shirt was wrinkled and lifted over her stomach and chest leaving her mostly exposed. "Look at Sota."

He heard sucking and gulping. The breast that was exposed was in the mouth of a pointy-eared little baby. He was sure his heart stopped beating in that moment. He could barely breathe. The air couldn't come fast enough. His eyes dilated the same time as his mouth widening. He climbed into the small bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He put a finger out to the baby. The pressure from the tiny fingers surprised him.

"Did I worry you?" She mumbled.

"You didn't come back," he stroked the hair from her neck and tenderly kissed her skin. "What happened? The shack is destroyed. Your house seems fine."

"The house was made to withstand earthquakes. The shack wasn't. I came through right when it started. Sota, my brother helped me deliver the baby. It happened so fast. I'm sorry, I was too tired to come back on my own. I named him Sota," she stroked the little baby's white hair.

"Sota?" A smile rumpled his features. "He's beautiful Kagome," he moved her chin up and kissed her mouth. His tongue dipped deep, seeking purchase, tasting his tired lover's lips.

"Mmh," her head fell back to her pillow. "That feels nice. I'm tired Inuyasha. Stay with me?"

"Of course," a crooked finger tenderly rubbed the plump cheek of his son. "He has my ears."

"He's your son," her voice was fading. "I'm sorry. He didn't sleep much last night. I'm so tired," she pulled the baby off her breast and scooted into the wall rolling over. Her shirt was tugged up again, revealing another tantalizing breast that was dripping in milk. The baby clamped down on it fiercely. "He's hungry. I love you Inuyasha," she intertwined her fingers between his.

"I love you," he kissed the white crown, just between the two pointy ears.

When the baby finished nursing, Kagome scoot closer to Inuyasha. Her forehead found the crook of his neck. Her breath heated his skin. Her eyes had black circles around them. "Take him so I can sleep?"

Inuyasha had experience holding Sango and Miroku's children. He lifted the baby onto his chest. The child fisted his locks, tugging on the silver strands. Inuyasha just smirked while Kagome turned him into her pillow and breathed heavily.

A quiet knock rapped the door, "Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi pushed door ajar, poking her head in. "Oh Inuyasha! You're here!" She whispered loudly coming over to the bed with a camera in hand. "Can I take a picture?"

"Sure," he tugged down Kagome's shirt while Mrs. Higurashi clicked frame after frame of the baby's face.

"He's so beautiful! I'm a grandmother!" She squealed, which sounded more like a hiss because her voice didn't raise higher than a whisper.

"What happened?" He still didn't quite understand.

Mrs. Higurashi became pensive for a moment, "Ji-chan and I were out at a movie. There was a big earth-quake. It knocked over one of the power lines on top of the shack. Sota helped Kagome out and she had the baby on the front porch. She's been here resting ever since."

"She didn't see a doctor?" There was something about the older woman's tone that made him believe she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"She was fine Inuyasha. I'm not sure how we would explain those ears to a doctor," Mrs. Higurashi stroked little Sota's ears.

"I guess you're right," he pat his little son's back. "What do I do with him?"

"Well he might need to be changed soon, come on I'll show you." Mrs. Higurashi motioned him out of the room. "Kagome is so tired. After that, could you help us get rid of the broken shack? I have an adjustor coming to look at it, but I'd rather get the wood out of the way sooner so it's easier to access the Well."

"Sure," he sniffed his son's cheek. He smelled like morning in the summer-time when it humid out and the sun first started rising. "My son. Sota."


	12. Meeting Baby Sota

**Meeting Baby Sota**

For several days Kagome and Inuyasha remained at her house until she felt more on her feet and rested. Despite having demon blood heal the majority of her injuries she was still exhausted. Sesshomaru told her later that her legs had been broken but Natsuki's blood healed it. Her mother went to the store and purchased her the fanciest cloth diapers she could find knowing that there was no way they could take the disposable diapers back through the well with them. She chose several onesies for the baby and a week after baby Sota was born a package arrived from Osaka. Inside was a midnight blue, fuzzy, hand embroidered blanket with white dogs on it that looked suspiciously like Sesshomaru in his true form but not quite. Sota's name was embroidered on the front with a card that wished her congratulations from Dr. Rinata.

"Who's that from?" Inuyasha asked Kagome as he felt the soft midnight blue of the blanket.

"A doctor friend," she smiled. It was the softest blanket she had ever felt. "It's going to get cold over there soon. This blanket will help keep him warm," she held her tiny son against her chest.

"Are they supposed to eat so often?" Inuyasha asked.

"He's making diapers and seems happy when he comes off. It's probably fine," Kagome said leaning against Inuyasha's chest. "Thank you," she kissed the underside of his chin.

"For what?" The hanyou asked confused running his nose along the top of her hair.

"This," she wrapped one arm around him, "for our baby. For loving me," she yawned as she spoke. Next to her dresser her cell phone buzzed. She picked it up.

It was a text message from Sesshomaru. **How are you feeling?**

For once Kagome was glad that Inuyasha struggled to read the symbols of her time. She quickly typed back, **I'm okay. Just tired. He's here. I can't talk. We're going back today.**

There was no reply. She set the phone down and cupped Inuyasha's chin and pulled his mouth to hers. "How long will the bleeding last?" He said as they stood up together.

"Weeks, a month or more sometimes," she said holding Sota. "Did you pack everything?"

"I have diapers, cloths for wipes," he pointed to them, "your mom said to come back when he outgrows these clothes. She has more," he picked up a small pile of clothing. "That fancy new blanket," he held it again thumbing the white dog emblems around the hems. "These almost look like Sesshomaru. But his hair is white around his body. This one is more cream color…"

"Really?" Kagome coughed trying to hide her surprise. She picked her phone up and quickly texted, **is the dog you?**

Inuyasha folded the blanket and added it to the backpack. "I cleared all the debris from the well. I went back long enough to make sure it was still working. Shippo was waiting on the other side with Rin and Kohaku. They wanted to know why we were taking so long. I told them you had the baby and that we named him Sota."

A broad smile creased her features as she kissed her baby's spit bubbled lips, "I can't wait to show him to Sango! I want to know how to make that baby carrier out of blankets."

The phone buzzed again. She flipped the screen open. **No, that is our father. Taka has become quite the artist over the last three centuries. She unearthed the only drawing we had of Chichiue in my mother's old room and now makes this blanket for members of our family She wanted you to have it.**

Kagome tried to hide her cheeks flushing. Inuyasha didn't know what their father looked like. The only issue was that she couldn't tell Inuyasha about it. She exhaled heavily cuddling her baby.

**Are you feeling better?**

**I told you not to worry.**

**How long do you have?**

**Enjoy your baby Miko. Be safe.**

Inuyasha watched smiling. His lover was holding their baby, rocking back and forth while singing and texting on her phone. He had imagined moments like these with Kikyo but their relationship was sabotaged and turned bitter but the Shikon no Tama. Perhaps not with the cell phone. After he was sealed, he never dared to allow himself to have this dream again. Then Miroku and Sango started having children and he felt like an awkward third wheel. He wanted a family of his own. And now he had one, "I think we have everything," Inuyasha said checking the bag again. "We should go before it gets dark."

"Okay," she set the phone down again. _I will figure out how to save him._ She told herself as she walked with Inuyasha down the stairs of her home. Sota her brother, her mother and grandfather stood in the living room.

Jichan passed her a Japanese Daruma doll with a shocked face and stripes down the sides, "this is a good-luck charm passed down for centuries to keep him safe!"

"Keep him warm Kagome," her mother hugged her.

"Will he be able to come back?" Sota asked reaching his arms up to his nephews. Kagome let him cuddle the baby with a big grin on her face. "I did help deliver him," he stated proudly.

Inuyasha ruffled his hair, "thanks kid."

"Momma…now that we have Sota, maybe when you have the shack rebuilt around the well, could we make it an apartment for Inuyasha, Sota and I?" Kagome tried not to sound spoiled, but if they were going to come back and visit, a twin bed in a room next to her mother's wasn't exactly the easiest place for them to spend time together.

"I'll see how much it costs Kagome, but I will use the money from your college fund to pay for it," her mother replied with a kind smile on her face.

That hit Kagome hard. "College fund?"

"Your father had us set money aside, but living over there you won't need it. I can't pay for something like that myself Kagome and you can't make money I can use over there," she tried to keep her voice level.

"I guess it's okay," she held back her disappointment. There were times she had hoped that she would go to college, but she missed the other side and Inuysaha so much she just couldn't help it. She hugged her family good bye and walked to the courtyard of their home. "How am I going to climb through with the baby?"

Inuyasha slid the backpack over his shoulders and held her around the waist. "Just hold tight to him," he leapt into the air and landed in one shot in the well. Kagome surrounded them in waves of holy energy. They were sucked back through the Well.

As they landed they were immediately met with the curious face of a little girl and red haired Shippo, "you're back!" Shippo jumped into the Well, "can I hold him?" He held his arms out to the baby.

"I want to hold him!" Rin yelled down.

"After that I want to!" Sango said bouncing Kenshen on her back.

"No us!" Hana and Kiseki said in unison.

"Let them up first," Kaede's gruff voice came over.

Kagome giggled handing Shippo the baby, "be careful with him." She said as the fox demon flew out of the well next to everyone else.

Inuyasha hefted the large backpack and Kagome out of the well landing next to their friends. There was a large congested circle of people oohing and ahing over the newest member of their troop. The circle was so tight even the parents couldn't get in. "Um, can I have him back?"

"It's my turn!" Hana whined.

"No it's mine!" Rin waved them off trying to get to the baby.

"Rin-chan," Kaede reprimanded the girl. "It's time to get the family back to their hut."

Kirara mewed, transforming to her larger fire-cat version and knelt down next at Kagome's feet.

Kagome hugged the cat around the neck and scratched her ears, "thanks Kirara." She climbed on sitting sideways. Even if the demon blood healed her, she was still a little sore.

"Now everyone back to the hut," Kaede said happily walking next to Inuyasha. "You missed his birth?" She asked the hanyou.

"Yeah," he said walking with the large group of people.

"Let me have him Kaede-sama," Sango begged. "He's so cute. Inuyasha he has your ears! But where did the moon come from?"

Kagome chuckled ahead remembering what Sesshomaru had said. It was a sign that his father was there protecting the child while he was being born.

"Will he have your strength?" Kohaku asked carrying Kiseki on his back while Miroku carried the other twin on his.

"I don't know," the hanyou answered quietly. "I guess we'll find out when he is older."

"It's my turn now!" Rin jumped up and down next to Kaede.

"We had dinner made for you," Kaede said happily as they arrived at the hut. "Sango and Rin made a warm soup. Miroku-dono and Kohaku-kun went to the forest and brought back a sika that just finished cooking."

Kagome slipped off Kirara's back already yawning again as she climbed the steps to her home. She sat down gratefully on her sleeping mat. She was immediately served by Rin, Kiseki and Hana on a food tray filled with meat, soup and hot tea. She sniffed the mixture. "Jinenji-san brought this didn't he?"

"It's his special after-birth mixture to help with pain and sleep. He said to bring the baby to him later," Rin told her happily. "Give me the baby Kaede-sama!" She spoke out of turn.

"Rin-chan!" Kaede rebuked her.

"Sorry," she sat down on the mat next to Kohaku. "I bet I can run faster than you now!" She said happily. "I'm almost twelve. They're never going to let me have the baby. Let's go race." She got up with Kohaku trailing after her. They both waved to everyone and left.

Shippo climbed over Kagome's shoulder as she ate, "are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah," she said drinking the tea.

Inuyasha pulled out the fuzzy warm blanket handing it to Kaede. She opened it, her one good eye narrowing in on the embroidered dogs. "This is beautiful," she said wrapping the new baby in the warm blanket. The old woman finally released the child and passed him to Sango.

"Oh he's gorgeous!" Sango swooned.

"Shall we try again? Kenshen is over a year old now," Miroku said with a smirk on his face.

Sango only blushed in reply as Miroku lowered himself next to her. He touched the baby's chubby cheeks and grinned. "Now we both have families."

Sango passed the baby to Miroku and joined Kagome on her mat She wrapped a blanket around the woman's shoulders, "what happened? He came early, but he doesn't look early."

Kaede joined them with her own cup of tea. "We were worried when Inuyasha didn't come back right away."

"I went through the well and he just came faster than I thought he would. My brother had to help deliver him," she flushed again, after all what sister wants their little brother looking at their nether regions while they give birth? "I figured Inuyasha would come when I didn't come back. I'm not sure what happened or why he came so early," she said quietly watching Inuyasha and Miroku with the baby.

"I've heard that hanyou pregnancies are shorter," Kaede said bringing her wooden cup to her mouth. "Kikyo-onisama once told me that she cared for a mother birthing a child whose father was a boar-demon. I wonder if little Sota came sooner because of who the father is. I would hate to think you and Inuyasha did anything before the wedding."

"Nothing," Kagome said quickly, sharing a look with Sango.

"Was it an easy birth at least?" Sango asked her.

"I came through the well and it happened so fast. I'm not sure. Too fast," she said unable to share more information than that. "There was an earthquake so it was a bit crazy."

"I hate those," Kaede said shivering. "My old bones can't tolerate them the way they used to."

"I won!" Rin came running back into the room with Kohaku behind her. They were both puffing and covered in sweat. "I did it Inuyasha-sama! I can run faster than Kohaku now!"

Inuyasha smiled patting her on the head, "good job. In a few weeks we'll continue your training."

"What training?" Sango asked Kagome.

"She wants to learn to fight," Kagome told her friend. She smiled watching Rin pick up her son and bring him to her.

"It's our turn!" Kiseki and Hana whined.

"Quiet girls," Miroku reminded them.

"How is it going?" Sango inquired of the girl as she sat down next to them.

"I'm working on it," she said confidently kneeling next to Kagome. "His moon reminds me of Sesshomaru-sama."

Kagome only snorted.

"I like him," Shippo sat next to Rin and kissed the baby's nose. "Can I take him for a walk?"

"He's going to be hungry soon?" _I'm so tired,_ Kagome thought to herself as she yawned again.

"Miroku," Sango called to her husband. She stood up and took Kenshen off her back handing him over. "Take the children home. I'm going to get Kagome settled. I'll come back soon. Kohaku go with them."

The family got up, leaving.

"Can I take him for a walk?" Shippo asked again.

"Sure," Inuyasha said.

"Rin we should go home too. It's getting dark," Kaede rose from her place holding her hand out to the girl. "You can train in childbirth in the morning. There is a mother expecting and we need to harvest the last herbs before the first snow comes."

"Okay," she said happily. "Here Shippo-chan," she passed the baby to the fox demon.

He left the hut with the baby.

"Do you need anything?" Sango asked Kagome.

"No," the Miko said, "just another nap. I can't believe I'm so tired."

"I'll leave you two," she hugged her friend then left the hut with the rest of the crowd.

Once it was quiet Inuyasha sidled up next to Kagome. He moved the hair off her shoulder and pressed his lips into her neck. "Oh that feels good," she sighed leaning into the kiss.

"We can't, while your bleeding can we?" He said leaning her back and hovering over her.

"It's not so safe. Pelvic rest it's called until we're sure I'm healed," she said opening the front of his haori. "But that's just internal. I can still do this," she slid her hand down the muscles of his chest and stomach and reached into his red hikama.

"Wow," his breathing became labored as her hand slid up and down his silky skin. He pumped his hips into her hand kissing her mouth. He held her face and moaned into her lips. "Kami Kagome," he whispered against her lips, his back tightening and his stomach boiling. "You're okay with this?"

"Let me help you," she rolled him onto his back and untied the front of his pants. She slowly licked the tip of his firmness, then opened her mouth taking in as much as she could.

He groaned, his claws splintering the floorboards. The next thrust of her mouth against him, he nearly came in her mouth before he pushed her back to avoid getting it in her mouth. He closed his eyes panting while he pulled her down, offering her a cloth for her to wipe her face. "I love you," he said kissing her.

"I love you too, Inuyasha," she kissed his mouth while she tied his pants. "Think Shippo will know when to bring him back?"

"He's a surprisingly good babysitter," Inuyasha laughed. "Hana and Kiseki love him."

"Mmh," she whispered against his chest dozing off.

 _Family,_ Inuyasha thought as he held her. _My family._


	13. Sesshomaru's Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taken from scenes in Sesshomaru's Heart where he sees Rin fighting for the first time and can't stand it.

Kagome spent the first several weeks mainly in her hut. Kaede-sama came to visit often. She brought stews, soups and herbs to help her sleep and recover. The Miko couldn't mention that her recovery was happening much faster because she had been dosed with a hefty measure of inu-yokai blood from Natsuki that had given her a throbbing fever for twelve hours after the baby was born. She was up and around learning to tie the baby to her chest three weeks after he was born. "Okay," Sango stood in front of her, "after you fold the blanket in half, give it a good shake. Wrap it around your back, over your shoulder," the Slayer helped her adjust the length of the grey sheet. Then we're going to tie the end that is by your stomach in a slip knot and the one on your shoulder is going to stay straight. See how it moves? Let's put Sota in."

"I feel like I am going to drop him," Kagome chuckled as she lifted the bubbling baby off the floor and into the sling. "I can't believe you can do this with bedsheets. We have baby carriers in my time but they cost a fortune."

"Why pay a fortune when you can just do this?" Her friend chuckled with her. "Now that he's in. Just tighten it up a bit. You can even nurse like that. Just part the front of your kimono."

They smiled and laughed and then spent the day walking around the village. She visited Jinenji who ooed and awed over the baby. "Inuyasha-sama's baby is so beautiful!"

When she found a quiet moment she sat down with Jinenji and asked him while he worked in the field, "Jinenji-san, do you know of any herbs that can reverse the effects of an illness on a demon?"

"What kind of illness?" Jinenji dug a hole into the soil, covering his tan skin with flecks of rich clay.

Kagome pursed her lips, bouncing the baby slightly to quiet him. She turned away from the hanyou to get the baby onto her breast, "I don't really know. But something strong enough that it can even kill a Dai-yokai."

"Nothing can kill a Dai-yokai like that," Jinenji argued as he picked up a flower and handed it to the nursing Miko. "Here," it was white with pink around the edges. "It matches your kimono."

She grinned taking the petals from him. She was wearing a light pink kimono with a white sash. She had on white leggings underneath. At first she tried to only wear clothing of the time, but after a while she found the thick wools itchy and preferred her own clothes. "Nothing?"

"Not that I know of. Saimyosho can poison most demons but Dai-yokai are immune."

She closed her eyes, "what if someone made something strong enough? Then they suffered the after effects. They shake out of control and cough up blood."

"Was the stomach injured?"

"I don't know," she answered again.

"Were they poisoned?"

"I don't know."

"You need to know more," he said softly. "There are many herbs and plants to help someone when they are sick but I have never seen a Dai-yokai die of poison other than what is produced by the mamoshi snake demons."

Kagome groaned. She was too tired to go back and ask Dr. Vague any more questions about what happened to him.

One month later Miyoga showed up to visit. Kagome glanced down and shrieked at the top of her lungs finding a tick on her infant's head. She slapped Miyoga across the face, sending him flying. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Gamyon!" He fell against the floor of the hut.

"Hey," Inuyasha picked him up squeezing him between his fingers, pressurizing him, "my son is not food for you."

"I came to see your son!" Miyogo protested. "Your father would be please Inuyasha-sama. He looks just like you. Tastes like you too," he said as he licked his fingers.

Inuyasha dropped him on the ground, "just don't get any ideas again." He took the baby from his wife and kissed her lips. "He's adorable," Inuyasha made funny faces for Sota. "Oi Kagome! Look!" He stuck his tongue out at his son flicking it up and down making funny noises.

Sota face broke into a huge grin.

"Oh keep making him do that!" Kagome rummaged into a bag at the back of the hut and ran forward, squishing Miyoga in the process. She pulled the camera out and tried snapping a picture but by the time she got a good angle the baby had stopped smiling. "Do it again!"

Inuyasha stuck his tongue out at the baby and giggled but all the baby wanted to do was yawn and twirl his hair in his fingers. "I think you missed it."

Inuyasha's ears picked up. He could hear feet clamoring outside their hut.

"Hurry up Jaken-sama! Come on Sesshomaru-sama! You have to meet your nephew!"

"Great," the hanyou rolled his eyes annoyed.

"Stop being a sour puss," Kagome elbowed him in the side.

"A what?"

Just another word from her time he didn't know about. "It means your being grumpy. I thought you two built the crib together."

"It doesn't mean we're friends. He was just mad because he couldn't read Kanji," Inuyasha gloated. "For once I am better at something than he is."

"I'll help him," she stood up knuckling her back. There were things about being a mother she hadn't gotten used to. Her back felt like it was perpetually sore and off balance. She had lost a good bit of the weight she had gained but her clothing back in her time didn't fit right. Her hips were wider, even she noticed that. Her bottom was fuller, her boobs were so big Inuyasha grabbed them multiple times a day as if he was Miroku and the last time she saw her friends who were enjoying the college life, they were shocked and appalled that she had a baby so soon then all they wanted to talk about was what sex was like. Maybe talking about it wasn't so bad.

The door flap opened and Rin raced in with two demons stalking with stoic looks behind her. "Can I have Sota for a little while?"

Inuyasha handed the child off to her with a small chuckle.

"Look Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin didn't wait for him to offer, she thrust the baby into his arms.

He held the child away from him from under the arms, "it stinks." His nose wrinkled.

"I just changed him!" Kagome screamed at him nearly balling her fists up.

"He stinks," the Dai-yokai said turning his head away and dropping the baby back into Rin's arms.

"You're such a jerk!" The Miko burst into tears. The droplets bubbled around her eyes and collected at the corner of her cheeks. "He's your nephew and that's all you have to say?"

Sesshomaru scoffed as he pulled the door flap open, "your female is emotional, Inuyasha. You match each other well."

"Sesshomaru-sama that was mean," Rin trailed after them.

"Disgusting, less than a hanyou," Jaken laughed as he left the hut, "I'll get some water for you to wash your hands."

Many more months passed. Kagome mastered tying the baby not only to her front but to her back as well. She had only made one trip back to try to talk to **him.** All it resulted in was more vague answers. He claimed he didn't remember when it happened or who had started it. Although she felt like they had had that conversation. In the end he said, "you can't change the past Miko, let it go." That ended that conversation.

But then something strange happened. Inuyasha was sitting on the fence to the herb garden with Rin. "One, two, three," he counted out to her as she moved through a variety of forms with her bokken. "You missed two."

"I did not," she sheathed the weapon then sat down. "I'm not any good at this."

"You're not going to learn over-night. I just had that made for you a three weeks ago," he reminded her. She was twelve now, a good head taller than she was when she was left at the village but still the happy child that loved running and playing in the fields. Her body was flattening out and thanks to her training, it was getting stronger and ripped with small muscles.

"Rin-chan!" Kaede called from the fields. "Come help me with the herbs."

"I'm training!" She called back.

"Now!" Kaede-sama bellowed at her frustrated.

"Go on," Inuyasha motioned for the herb garden. "We can do more later. Remember how long it took you to learn to shoot straight with a bow?"

"A year," she laughed. "Kohaku was younger than me Inuyasha-sama."

"He trained his whole life. There's plenty of day left. Go work in the field when you are done meet me here at sunset."

She shook her head, "he's coming at sunset. I don't know…"

"You're going to have to tell him eventually," Inuyasha leapt off the fence post and touched her shoulder. "I think he would be proud."

"I don't know," she said quietly walking off to the herb garden. "I don't want to be a Miko why do I have to learn herbs?"

Twelve came with new challenges that he knew Sesshomaru hadn't thought of. She would start a period soon showing that her body was that of a woman. She could be married in the next two years. Inuyasha observed her as a full blown argument broke out between her and the elderly Miko. As it did Kagome stood up and hiked through the earth to lean against the fence and speak to him. "Sota is doing the same thing. My brother, he wants to be a singer and my mother wants him to be a doctor. He met this girl at the store last time we visited and wanted to go on a date, mama said no, but he went anyway. He was grounded for a week. Inuyasha, what were you like at this age?"

"It's not the same," he said quietly giving a finger to the baby on her back. "I aged slower remember? By the time I was that size I was around one hundred and twenty years old."

"When did she die?" Kagome held his hand. It rested on the top of the wooden fencing. She ran her thumb underneath his claws.

"Around the age of sixty," he away from her.

She wrapped her arms around his back and kissed the curve of his neck. "I'm sorry. You were still the size of a child?"

"Yeah. It's why I don't like talking about it," he squeezed her hands. "I didn't have anyone. My father was dead, my brother is an overbearing, egotistical asshole. I was alone. And then I met Ki…"

"Kikyo," she supplied for him. "And you weren't alone anymore," she whispered next to his ear.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Give me the baby. We're going to go for a walk. Maybe find something to kill."

Kagome just chuckled as her two favorite boys walked off together.

Later that evening Rin came back to Inuyasha with her Bokken in hand. He found her by the fence practicing again. She took long strokes, flowing through the moves he taught her. One was a ready stance with legs crouched and hand on the hilt. Two was drawing it and positioning both hands underneath the hilt, three was raising it over her head. She repeated the forms over and over. He had returned the baby to Kagome and joined Rin by the fencepost. "Ready?"

"Yeah," she said jumping up and down.

"Rin, do you like delivering babies and working with herbs?"

"I did at first," she said getting into a ready stance and moving through the forms again. She lost her balance at three and fell backwards on her backside. She pushed herself off the dirty ground, wiping off her bottom. "But then I don't know…maybe I don't know what I want." She sheathed the weapon and crouched again.

He raised his own Bokken, "I want you to just focus on blocking my moves okay? We'll start slow." They sparred back and forth, he stepped forward she stepped back. He raised his katana, she raised hers to block. He swung for her side, she leapt out of the way.

After half an hour they stopped so she could rest and drink. It was autumn. The weather would be getting cold again soon. "He hasn't come yet."

He knew that she waited for his monthly visits like she waited for air. "You want to rejoin him don't you?"

She nodded her head. "We haven't talked about it. Do you smell him?"

"Nothing stinks yet," Inuyasha sniggered at his own comment.

Those eyes suddenly became fierce.

If there was one thing he enjoyed doing it was breaking her perception of how perfect Sesshomaru was. "I've told you before, he wasn't always nice."

"You cut his arm off!"

"Because he turned into a big dog and tried to kill me!" He yelled back at her. "And come on, don't you remember that time he dragged me into that other dimension to fight over the meido?"

She only shook her head. "He was never that cruel."

"Suit yourself then."

"Are you going to fight when he comes?" Her hands weren't nearly as soft as they were when they first came. They were calloused and covered in dirt from working in the fields.

"Probably, he always has to show off," he fidgeted with the sword.

"True," she muttered. Rin was twelve and although Inuyasha was still a head taller than her, she was catching up. "It's too bad you two just can't kill each other already, besides we both know Bakusaiga is stronger than Tetsusiaga."

"Oi…" Inuyasha nudged her with his elbow.

"How's the baby?" Rin loved visiting them. Tiny Sota was adorable. She was like a baby whisperer. Whenever he wouldn't calm down she would come over and the baby would quiet right away.

"Driving his mother crazy. You want to come spend the night tonight?" Inuyasha begged Rin, "he seems happy with you."

"Maybe I'll come after dinner. Kaede-sama doesn't like it when I'm out late," Rin answered picking at the splintering wood of the fence. "Why isn't he here yet?"

Inuyasha gave her a sympathetic look and patted her shoulder. "Come on, back to training." He threw her a bokken, the traditional Japanese wooden sword meant for training, "hold it up right. Not like that, you're going to poke your eyes out!" He pushed her sword down, "remember the ready stance?"

"Sesshomaru-sama says you're reckless when you fight, Inuyasha-sama," Rin put her hand on her hips.

"Ready stance," he lowered his voice, "now Rin, or I'll make you run laps again."

"Fine," she widened her stance, with her sword at the ready. The blade was tilted just enough.

"Now move with me, one," he changed positions, the sword was pointed down. "Keep your feet the same distance as your shoulders, you have to be able to move. Two," he held the sword over his head, "elbows out, like a square, no you're too floppy, strong remember?"

She paused and so did he. A thrumming was whistling from forest. The leaves were shivering but not from the small gusts of winds. The creaking of wood filled the air, tree tops came smashing down. They could hear the thump of large feet and suddenly out of the top of one of the trees a large ogre emerged. "Go back to the hut, now!" Inuyasha yelled at her as he ran for the forest. "They always come."

It was proof his derelict brother was nowhere around. He fled into the leaves and leap into the sky, "Kaze no Kizu!" He shouted at the ogre burying it in white light. He flipped over the next hoard landing behind it. He was about to send meido blades into the crush of demons flying for the village when he saw Rin battling with her wooden Bokken. She had managed to slide underneath one of them, flip over the next and then stab the blunt wooden blade into the squishy eyeball of a serpentine like demon. "Dammit," he cursed hacking with his claws and his katana through the throng.

"I got one! Did you see me?" She squealed in excitement.

"Duck Rin!" Another throng was coming right at her.

She shrieked, covering her head and laid low on the forest floor.

"Kaze no Kizu!" He yelled again, sending the energy over her head.

He grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her high into one of the tall pisceas where the nettles would keep her hidden. "Stay here," he hissed at her. "If he comes now, he'll kill me!"

He landed back down in the forest, sure that she was out of the way. His blade flickered black with stars like the night sky. He adjusted his grip ready to send meido blades when the jingling of a khakkhara behind him, let him know that Miroku had joined the fight. The monk side kicked one creepy crawling thing in the stomach, hacked the head off another flying snake-like thing and then threw six sutras at once burning another host into the ground.

Inuyasha was ready to send meido again when he saw that Rin had scampered out of the tree and was facing off three on her own. "Rin! I told you to back off!"

"I can take them watch!" She shouted back to him, hands at the ready.

"Idiot girl," he said under his breath trying to break through the waves of demons coming at her. There was no time to get to her as he and Miroku fought back to back.

"They keep coming for her," Miroku punched a demon down onto the grass, spilling it's blood.

"I know," he couldn't find her now. "Where is she?"

"I can't see her," Miroku jumped over a green thing that tried to wrap itself around her. He stabbed it in the neck with his golden khakkhara.

Suddenly a vortex of green energy came so quickly at them that Inuyasha had to grab Miroku and hold his sheathe. "Bakusaiga!" The sheathe lit light blue, protecting them from the wave of energy.

"We're in for it now," Miroku paled.

The waves of demons dropped to the forest floor in chunks.

Rin was practically dancing, "did you see? Did you! I took out two by myself!" She jumped up and down next to Sesshomaru.

"Inuyasha!" The older brother bellowed in rage stalking towards his hanyou brother.

"You should go," Inuyasha pushed Miroku out of the way. He gulped. His brother's face was lined in anger, eyes half tinging red.

Sesshomaru raised his katana again.

"Oh don't cry, aniki," Inuyasha mocked his brother, "nothing happened to your precious Rin." He blocked Sesshomaru's thrust to the side with Tetsusaiga. He leapt out of the way of a small energy burst, then flipped into a tree. The battle was on. Sesshomaru was not holding back and for the first time in a long time Inuyasha was scared that his brother would actually try to kill him again. He blocked a blow to the head and another to his stomach. When they both got fed up with their katanas, the claws came out. Stroke by stroke Sesshomaru got closer and closer. He side kicked Inuyasha into the dirt, then flew on top of him, hand misting green. Inuyasha jumped into a tree.

"Her blood and screams were in the air!" Sesshomaru followed Inuyasha into the tree hacking of it down with his katana, "how dare you lead her into battle!" He attempted to get a choke hold around the hanyou's neck.

"Sesshomaru-sama," she yelled, "Sesshomaru-sama!" She stomped her foot annoyed. "But I only hurt my arm."

Miroku came up next to her, "better get back to the hut and clean that arm, those two could continue for hours." He pat her shoulder lightly.

"But it wasn't his fault, oh no…"

Sesshomaru's eyes pitched completely red. He bounded into the air. "Oh great," Inuyasha pulled his sword out again. "Really?" Inuyasha yelled at his brother. "Seriously? I'm going to cut that arm off! Again!" Inuyasha swung at Sesshomaru's white fluffy left arm. "All this over a few Yokai? Did you forget the part where she told you she took two out by herself? Yeah that's right! Your sweet precious baby Rin killed two by herself and almost a third, with a damn wooden sword! Ah!" He ran out the way of Sesshomaru's paws.

Sesshomaru stalked towards Inuyasha, bolden and large. Rin couldn't hold back any longer. She ignored Miroku's protests to not interfere. She ran to the battle field and threw her hands up at her sides, "stop Sesshomaru-sama! He told me to return to the hut and I didn't! He even put me in a tree out of harms reach and I chose to re-enter the forest! It wasn't his fault it was mine." She regretted it immediately. Angry teeth were just inches from her. Hot air breathed out against her nearly knocking her over. "I'm okay," that wasn't entirely true, her arm was injured.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha leapt in front of Rin to protect her. He was smacked out of the way by an angry dog muzzle.

The angry white dog with the gorgeous ruff blowing in the wind nudged her injured arm. He wrapped his tongue around her wrist. Rin hissed in pain. He looped his tongue around it again, this time it didn't hurt as much. She raised a trembling hand to Sesshomaru's white nose, she dared to pat it softly, "I'm okay, Sesshomaru-sama."

He replied by giving her a snarl that revealed his razor sharp teeth. He turned and stalked away, then flew into the air.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin yelled after him, "come back!" She called to him. "What did I do wrong?" Rin asked Inuyasha and Miroku.

"You have to ask?" Inuyasha shook his head, "you are more of a liability living here than a help," he chuckled completely unaware that it was the wrong thing to say.

Rin's eyes seared with tears, "I just wanted to help," she covered her mouth and ran as far and as fast as she could go.

"Let her go," Miroku said to him. "Lesson learned.

Hours later, when it was pitch black outside and Kagome and Inuyasha were enjoying some time alone they heard rapping outside the hut. The Miko was only half dressed, she flipped over grabbing a fur to cover her exposed front. Inuyasha scrambled pulling his hikama on. "Who is it!?" Kagome called.

"Kaede," the old women said, "is Rin-chan here?"

"No," Inuyasha answered standing up and throwing his outer layer on. His eyes went back to Kagome, she was naked, sweating and he was bulging. His hikama were doing a poor job hiding what he wanted from her or what was just interrupted.

"She didn't come home," Kaede said sadly. "I think she ran away."

"I'll go look for her soon," he said not inviting the old woman in. There was something he wanted to finish first.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and KUDO


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